Toyota hits jumps curb, bank March 31. / APD photo
This is a brief story about a parking attempt turned frightening that could have happened to any of us. In this case, it happened to a Medford woman, 75.
About 5:45 Saturday, March 31, the woman was trying to park a 2017 red Toyota Corolla in front of Bank of America in the Center. Instead of hitting the brake, a police report said, her foot slipped and hit the gas — hard. The car hopped the curb, hit a light pole, lunged across the sidewalk and struck the bank.
Armstrong Ambulance transported the driver to Winchester Hospital for treatment of a cut to the right knee. A passenger was transported to Mt. Auburn Hospital for what the report called “general weakness.”
Except for a small amount of red paint transferred from the vehicle to the front of the bank, police reported no damage to 655 Mass. Ave.
The car’s passenger corroborated the driver’s version of events, the report said.
Police issued then driver a citation for failing to use care and operating to endanger. A check found she had six previous surchargeable accidents on her driving record. Police faxed what is called an “immediate threat” to the state Registry of Motor Vehicles.
The driver’s name was redacted from the police report. A witness told police he observed the driver trying to back into a parking spot, but it appeared she still had the car in drive and accelerated forward. The witness was parking his own vehicle in another parking spot.
The town electrical inspector arrived and disconnected exposed wiring from the pole.
This news summary published Monday, April 2, 2018.
