Elderly driver slams into Ham Supreme in Redondo; 5 hurt

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An 88-year-old motorist mistook his accelerator for the brake, struck several sidewalk diners and drove his car halfway into a Redondo Beach restaurant on Sunday.

Five people went to hospitals for treatment of minor injuries, Redondo Beach police Sgt. Peter Grimm said..

The accident occurred just after 2 p.m. as the elderly Redondo Beach resident tried to park his Jaguar outside Ham Supreme in a shopping center at Pacific Coast Highway and Carnelian Street.

"There were a lot of people there," Grimm said. "The potential for a serious accident was huge. It was hot. It was sunny out. People were strolling in the area. It could have been a lot worse."

The driver told police he was attempting to park his car when he mistook the gas pedal for the brake and lurched forward. His car struck several people eating at tables on the sidewalk outside Ham Supreme, and smashed through window of the restaurant.

Inside, the car struck several diners and shoved them through a stucco wall into a neighboring business called Score, trapping them inside. Responding police officers, including one who witnessed the crash while patrolling in the parking at the time, had to smash the tutoring business' front window to free the restaurant patrons.

Despite the serious crash, no one was badly hurt, Grimm said.

The elderly driver, whose name was not released, was unhurt. Police confiscated his keys and towed his car. It will be examined to determine if the vehicle had any mechanical problems, but the driver told officers the crash was his fault, police said.

The driver was not arrested. Police will file a report with the California Department of Motor Vehicles for his license to be reviewed.

"The Redondo Beach Police Department drove him home," Grimm said.

1 Comments

ann said:

Minor injuries? It has been 5 months and Ms. Spencer still cannot walk very well. She has a fractured pelvis and her legs are scared so badly, over 100 scars! She is still having complications and is in pain daily.....saying, "not serious" is just not true. This accident will affect Ms. Spencer for the rest of her life!

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Larry Altman has covered crime in the South Bay since 1990. He's seen it all - the missing model who turned up dead in the desert, the wives found dead in trunks, the high-school coaches who get a little too close to their players. He drives his young colleagues nuts with his "I remember when" stories. He welcomes your tips and observations about the present, and you can mix in a little Lakers basketball talk if you like.

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This page contains a single entry by Larry Altman published on March 29, 2009 7:45 PM.

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