Jul 3, 2009 5:48 pm US/Eastern
Elderly Driver Crashes Into Natick Liquor Store
NATICK (WBZ) ―
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Authorities say the driver was an 83-year-old woman who told them she "didn't know what happened."
A. Richard Miller
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A cashier inside Fannon's Discount Liquors was pinned to a counter in the crash.
A. Richard Miller
Natick Police have charged an elderly driver who crashed through the front of a liquor store on Route 27 near Route 9 with driving negligently so as to endanger.
The Registry of Motor Vehicles has suspended the license of 83-year-old Jacqueline Sorensen of Natick because she is considered an immediate threat.
Police say she was taken to Metro West Medical Center with minor chest injuries. A cashier at the store who was hurt was released from the hospital this afternoon. It happened shortly before 11 a.m.
Watch: Raw Video From Scene
"I was just standing at my register and the next thing I knew, there was a car beside me," said cashier Debbie Blenkhorn, who has a sore arm, neck and back after the Mustang convertible crashed through the front window of Fannon's Discount Liquors, from a handicapped parking space, into a shelf and merchandise that fell on Blenkhorn.
"As soon as I looked at the woman, I knew what happened. It was an elderly woman and I knew she hit the gas instead of the brakes," she said.
Natick Police are investigating to see exactly how it happened. "There are no signs of any braking that occurred in the parking lot. There is an acceleration mark on the barriers prior to the window of the store," explained Lt. Brian Lauzon who says he found the car in reverse and there was a handicapped placard inside which was taken as evidence.
"She stated she didn't know what happened, didn't remember what happened," said Deputy Chief Mike Slattery of the Natick Fire Department.
Cashier Amy Boisvert remembers. She was working in the store. "Just a big crash all of sudden, look up and there's the car in the window. I just helped this gentleman. Thank God he turned around to throw away his lottery tickets or otherwise he would have been hurt," said Boisvert.
Blenkhorn was hesitant to comment about the elderly driver who she said is regular customer and for whom she feels badly, hoping she's alright. "My mom is 92 and she gave her license up because she was afraid she would hurt somebody years ago. So, I think a lot of people that are elderly drivers should be re-tested and not be able to drive, you know," said Blenkhorn.
Read: How Old Is Too Old To Drive?
This is the latest in a series of crashes involving elderly drivers this summer.
Legislators have been working on
a bill to that would test or restrict elderly drivers in the state.
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