SUV plows into Milwaukie store

MILWAUKIE, Ore. - An elderly man driving a sport utility vehicle plowed into a Milwaukie sporting goods store Monday afternoon, sending one woman to the hospital and injuring a man, authorities said.

It happened at the Big 5 Sporting Goods store at 16074 S.E. McLoughlin Blvd. about 1:30 p.m., according to Detective Jim Strovink, a spokesman for the Clackamas County Sheriff's Office.

The driver, 83-year-old Peter L. Day of Oregon City, told authorities he was trying to park in front of the store and thought he was pushing down the brake pedal when he was actually stepping on the gas pedal, causing his Ford Explorer to crash into the store, Strovink said.

The vehicle then kept on going - destroying merchandise and displays along the way - before finally stopping about 50 feet into the store, Strovink said.

A woman inside was hurt by a merchandise display rack. Linda L. Schulenberg, 57, of Canby, was taken to Oregon Health and Science University, where she was listed in serious condition Monday. The other person hurt in the incident suffered only minor injuries, Strovink said.

Day did not appear to be injured following the wreck, Strovink said. He told investigators he had recently spent four months in the hospital for treatment of a neuropathy-related condition.

Investigators suspect that may have contributed to causing the wreck, Strovink said.