The 80-year-old woman who plowed a Mercedes SUV through a Livermore gym Tuesday, killing one person, had a very similar accident in front of the very same gym 18 months ago, according to witnesses who spoke to ABC 7.
The woman has not yet been identified, and nor has she been charged with a crime, however people who either know or recognize her say "they saw the same woman lurch her Mercedes SUV onto the sidewalk, then drive about 30 feet, nearly crashing into the same gym."
Apparently this previous incident, in 2014, was not reported to the police, and obviously no one was injured.
Early Tuesday morning the woman said she experienced what they call "pedal confusion," hitting the gas instead of the brake and driving through the windows of, and deep into, the LifeStyleRx gym. She drove the car into the middle of a class being conducted, injuring five people and killing one 49-year-old Livermore woman. The incident sparked a renewed discussion about the elderly being behind the wheel, and the Contra Costa Times noted that 44 such incidents happen around the country each day, though not always with deadly consequences. As a result, earlier this month, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced that 10 major car makers have agreed to implement emergency-breaking technology in future cars.