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Elderly Driver Crashes Car Into Danvers Wal-Mart

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Jun 2, 2009 7:24 pm US/Eastern

Elderly Driver Crashes Car Into Danvers Wal-Mart

View: Slideshow: Inside The Store

DANVERS (WBZ) ―

Click to enlarge 1 of 3: The Toyota Camry inside the Wal-Mart after the crash.
Anthony Mandia/WBZ
Click to enlarge 2 of 3: Customers and workers clear debris in the store after the crash.
Anthony Mandia/WBZ
Click to enlarge 3 of 3: The driver went in between the red posts outside the store.
WBZ

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An elderly driver slammed his car into a Wal-Mart in Danvers Tuesday morning, hitting a mother and her child.

The 93-year-old driver, Louis Vesprini of Danvers, and his 90-year-old wife were in their Toyota Camry when it plowed through the front of the store and hit the woman and her 1-year-old girl.

HOW IT HAPPENED

Police say Vesprini was looking for a handicapped parking spot at about 10 a.m. when he apparently hit the gas pedal instead of the brake. "He was looking for a handicapped parking space, couldn't find one where he was. I think he hit the gas and went forward instead of hitting the brake and turning into another lane," explained Danvers Police Sgt. Bob Bettencourt.

He drove between two red protective pillars in front of the store and crashed through the glass doors.

THE VICTIMS

The mother's injuries were "superficial."

The baby was taken to Mass. General Hospital because her injuries could be more serious than originally thought. "And I looked in and a guy was saying, 'There's a baby on the ground, there's a baby on the ground. Call 911!'" one witness described to WBZ's Bill Shields.

Vesprini's wife was also taken to the hospital for treatment.

Vesprini refused medical treatment.

Three people not involved in the crash were taken to the hospital to be checked for stress because of pre-existing medical conditions.

Bettencourt said it is amazing that no one else was hurt. "We're fortunate no one was in the entranceway… this could have been a lot worse."

No charges have been filed.

STORE CLOSED

The store will remain closed until Wednesday.

View: Photos Inside The Store

The Wal-Mart is near the Brooksby Village retirement complex.

It's not known if Vesprini and his wife are residents there.

In response to Tuesday's crash, the registry has revoked the Vesprini's license, calling him an "immediate threat."

Vesprini has a pretty clean driving record. In 2001, he was cited for failing to stop. In 1985, he was involved in a minor accident on the Cape.

NO AGE RESTRICTIONS

Massachusetts has no restrictions on a person's ability to drive, based on their age.

According to the registry's Web site, licensing standards are based on a person's "functional ability."

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