2 seriously hurt as driver plows through crowd of shoppers
COVINGTON, Wash. - The pre-Black Friday festivities turned frightening Thursday night when an SUV drove over two shoppers in a store parking lot, seriously injuring them.
King County deputies say the incident unfolded at the Wal-Mart store in Covington at about 8 p.m. Thursday.
According to witnesses, the driver of the SUV appeared to accelerate as the two shoppers were walking through the parking lot area toward the store entrance.
One of the victims, a woman in her 40s, was trapped under the vehicle as horrified shoppers looked on. Passers-by rushed to her aid and were able to free her.
Medics were on the scene almost immediately and rushed the woman and her boyfriend to Harborview Medical Center. The woman suffered injuries to her pelvis and head, and the man sustained head injuries.
"We actually had two deputies that were actually working here overtime for the crowds tonight. They heard loud commotions, saw people running to the area, were immediately able to help the victims and contact the driver," said King County Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Sgt. Cindi West.
Deputies arrested the driver of the SUV, a 71-year-old man, for suspicion of DUI.
He will likely be charged with vehicular assault, West said.
King County deputies say the incident unfolded at the Wal-Mart store in Covington at about 8 p.m. Thursday.
According to witnesses, the driver of the SUV appeared to accelerate as the two shoppers were walking through the parking lot area toward the store entrance.
One of the victims, a woman in her 40s, was trapped under the vehicle as horrified shoppers looked on. Passers-by rushed to her aid and were able to free her.
Medics were on the scene almost immediately and rushed the woman and her boyfriend to Harborview Medical Center. The woman suffered injuries to her pelvis and head, and the man sustained head injuries.
"We actually had two deputies that were actually working here overtime for the crowds tonight. They heard loud commotions, saw people running to the area, were immediately able to help the victims and contact the driver," said King County Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Sgt. Cindi West.
Deputies arrested the driver of the SUV, a 71-year-old man, for suspicion of DUI.
He will likely be charged with vehicular assault, West said.
Damn, I hate this whole early shopping craze thing too, but, isn't that going just a little overboard?
If they could only get the masses to vote with this enthusiasm, what changes we could make!  Maybe if they made Voting Day on Black Friday then they'd vote en masse, or they'd stop shopping?  Â
 @djshimon No material goods involved in voting - I already got my pay-as-I-go cell phone, but I did vote even though it meant nothing here on the West Coast...
This is sooo ridiculous.. There just is not a thing the stores have that I need or want. I love Christmas but I'll celebrate it my way and not how the stores want us too! :pÂ
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 @Khre'Riov Ael i-Mhiessan t'Rllaillieu ~  You and me both..!   I don't buy very many Christmas gifts anymore, so the ones I DO buy are for people who are special to me... and I want to get special gifts for them; something unique, not just something they can run out to any big-box store and buy for themselves...  I shop antique stores, specialty stores (eg: used book stores), collectors' shows, thrift stores, and, if I can't find what I want locally, I'll search e-Bay... I shop pretty much all year long, as each idea presents itself for a special gift...  No crowds, no hassle... MUCH more fun that way..!
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I think all this frantic "must-have-NOW" mentality s just plain sad...Â
 @margay1 Absolutely! My daughter and I both do books.. used, and most I get off Amazon. We try to fill in the series we like with ones that we don't have. We do movies and some of the series. Last year they started me on Bones, so I filled in up to season 6 and told them Hercules & Xena this year,lol!  Ebay or Amazon.. very little from the stores. I've got a good collection of Christmas (thanskgiving & easter) Cactus's going, add some new ones and re pot and the extra starts to my plant loving friends!Â
 @boned  @margay1 LOL! Funny!Â
 @Khre'Riov Ael i-Mhiessan t'Rllaillieu  @margay1 I had lunch today with six of my best friends and they all got their $5.50 Christmas gift from Amazon. A 'Beatin' Barack' doll...
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I can't Believe it every "Black Friday", some on Beaten up (PS3) or trampled or some damn thing all because we MUST have IT mentality. I swear this brings out the worse in people.
 @lee986321 I looked at the 'Drudge Report' and can only guess that Black Friday gives folks a reason to act stupid. Fights, mace, stabbings, shootings, et al. A pretty sad statement on society for material goods...
 @lee986321 Yep. All for this materialistic crap that will break, get stolen, or someone will lose interest in.
 @Jamie The box it comes in is usually much more fun than the kids' toys, in the first place.
 @Gravity Works!  @Jamie ~  The way they make kids' toys these days, the boxes they come in last longer, too..!  ...sigh...
it's the consumer economy. eat or be eaten! erybody is turning cannabal! get that flat screen at all costs
 @Phuzz My friends make fun of me because I still watch a 32" RCA analog TV. My laptop is HD and suits me just fine, but then I drive a 12 year old VW diesel that runs perfect with money in the bank and no bills...
Going out on Black Friday is suicide. Nobody has common sense, and EVERYONE just has to get that good deal first. Come on, are we that enslaved to money? Pathetic.
We can hope this had nothing to do with the Unions and their attempts to scare Walmart shoppers and to hurt Walmart's business.
 @last boyscout I saw that on the news today. Only been in a Walmart one time in Missoula, MT looking for Levi 501's and the clerk looked around before she told me there was no way and go over to the mall...Â
 @last boyscout The only thing that will hurt Walmart's business is the closing of our southern border.