Driver crashes SUV into Beaverton gas station; clerk injured
BEAVERTON, Ore. – Police said an SUV crashed into a Chevron gas station in Beaverton, injuring an employee Sunday afternoon.
It happened at 14470 SW Allen Boulevard just before 2 p.m.
According to Beaverton Detective Sergeant Jim Shumway, 73-year-old Gabriel Sugarman of Beaverton crashed into the building while trying to park his Cadillac Escalade. The impact caused an interior wall to collapse and fall on a female clerk.
Sugarman told police he was parking when he pushed the accelerator instead of the brake. He was cited for careless driving.
The clerk, who has not been identified, was taken to a hospital with a broken leg. She's expected to be OK.
"I don't know what to feel, I mean, it's the nicest store in the state," said manager Larry Veal. "I'm more in shock than anything else."
Cars should have sensors to avoid accidents like this. if they have  a sensor that can deploy an air bag in milliseconds they can put  one to apply the break to at least minimize the damage.
Another case of where an elderly driver should have the pedals reversed. Â When he started to go forward did he not have enough since to hit the break.
Well, wasn't that stupid.
It constantly amazes me how people mix up the pedals! One is tall and skinny, the other is short and wide. I drive automatics with two feet (quicker reaction time) unless the vehicle prevents it, like some larger trucks, and I drive a stick like normal... and I've never mixed up the pedals once!
Iv'e been saying this for years, "THERE NEEDS TO BE A COMPETENCY TEST FOR ANYONE OVER 65!"
 @PDXBEAR And honestly, I don't think a competency test would work. Most people who are over 65 would pass them. As a normal thing, I doubt that this man would have a problem driving. Likely, he simply was thinking about something else and suddenly realized he was still moving, and rammed his foot down as you might do to brace yourself.
 @PDXBEAR I've known personally, two people who have done this. Both of them were under 30. Just saying.Â
 @PDXBEAR At age 66 myself I constantly get pissed at elderly drivers who need to be off the street.  I myself have all my faculties and am aware of everything around me and am a very safe driver.  I also agree that there should be a driving test for those 65 and over.
Will someone smarter than I am please tell me how a person mistakes the gas pedal for the brake pedal? I am just trying to make this compared to what - a person that needs to give-up his ODL...
 @boned I've known young people to do this too. One girl I knew had stopped but not put the car into park and reached over to get something out of the seat ... then looked up and realized she was moving and just rammed her foot down. She doesn't (she says) remember if it was just that she was bracing herself, or if it was because the last thing she'd been doing was to stop, and her foot had been on the brake. It was just too quick a decision. The other girl .. well .. I've always assumed she was on something.
 @boned   As I get older I notice that things that were automatic for me now take more effort and concentration to do. Even into my 40's I was great at video games and could make my nephews quite angry at my skill. Now, when we play Halo, they wax me every time we play. My brain and body just doesn't assimilate information as fast as it used to.
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Excuse me, I need to go mow my carpet and shampoo my yard....
 @Scotty9  @boned LOL
 @boned Old people do it on purpose and lie about being confused. I'm on to these old farts.Â
 @PDXBEAR  @boned LOL. Honestly, I know two people who did this who were pretty young (under 30, and maybe under 20 for one of them), although one of the two said that she thought she had the car in reverse (and of course she was mad about something and rammed on the gas pedal).
The same thing happened a few years ago in NW Portland. An elderly man trying to park his Volvo in the parking lot of a restaurant near 23rd and Thurman hit the accelerator instead of the brake, and the car smashed into the restaurant. The restaurant manager was taken to Good Sam in critical condition, and operated on. How many more such incidents must occur before elderly drivers are tested more frequently, and more thoroughly???
 @felines99 They happen a lot more often than that. Post offices in central Florida posted parking lot driving tips after 8 post offices were crashed into just over the summer, all by drivers over 65. I've seen people in grocery stores that couldn't read the denomination of the money they were paying with walk into the parking lot and drive away.
Was it a semi or full auto?
 @2012 Hope and Change Now, now... You get to pay a .75 cent tax for your flu shot since Omama 'raided' that fund to keep spending so do your patriotic duty and get your fly shot so you can help pay down the national debt, OK??
 @boned  @2012 Hope and Change Hogwash. I'm on Medicare, with a fixed income, and my flu shot is going to be $25. Nice try.
 @boned I think we were having this discussion (about the 'tax') yesterday on the flu shot story, but when i said "I couldn't find where the bill including that tax was ever signed into law.  It passed the Senate but died in the House of Representatives.  Any link?", all I heard was crickets chirping.  Again, do you have a link about your assertion?  'Cuz I sure can't find any truth to what you said.  Just curious.
"I don't know what to feel, I mean, it's the nicest store in the state," said manager Larry Veal. "I'm more in shock than anything else."
Thats the best quote the owner could come up with??? Â Really?
How about something like "Im just glad no one died here..." or that his worker is going to be okay.....
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 @eyeonchina "Manager" ... not "owner". Which may even mean he is "A" manager, not "THE" manager.
Larry changed his name from Apu Nahasapeemapetilon when he worked at the Kwik-E-Mart
@eyeonchina How about they interviewed him more than that but that was the quote some producer decided to use. Learn how TV works
Oh really? Â Interesting enough that obviously thats what the "producer" herd and it stood out enough to be his only quote. Â Also, if what you are saying is even true, you are relieving this TV Producer of the responsibility of using any good judgement. Â I don't need to learn how tv works to notice something that I see as low form.
 @eyeonchina No, but you sure are ready to jump up and down, fast. This is a MANAGER. He may not even be the only manager. And I'm betting he'd said a lot more than this one little statement.Â
That was my first thought also, eyeonchina! "...it's the nicest store in the state". Seriously, that's the best he could come up with when one of his employees was severely injured? Geesh.....
Why weren't there armed guards to prevent such a thing?
 @browntown An RPG would have been necessary and of course they are illegal...
No matter how old you are, no matter what gender you are (or prefer to be known as!)----
If it's too big for you to be able to park it correctly, it's too big for you to drive!
The cost for this is going to exceed $100,000 is my guess. The damage to the building and equipment, the vehicle, the lost revenue, the medical bills for the worker. It all adds up pretty fast.
I think Charlie Hales and his ship of fools need to address this, and RIGHT NOW. There oughta be a law!!!
A 73 year old using an Escalade is like Rambo using a peashooter.
 @JLO HAHA! True story.
Poor old Jonathon Blake, stepped on the gas instead of the brake.
In all seriousness, I hope the clerk is ok. I was filling up there this afternoon and saw two KPTV news trucks there. Must be a slow news day.
What? take away driving privileges for older folks? Won't that hurt their feeeeeeeeeeeelings?
What about the children!!!!!!!  OMG somebody owns a gun in this country too? Awwwwwwk!
Don't worry, our elected officials will save us from ourselves.
We need to end the automobile violence. Congress needs action NOW!
She's going to be ok. I heard she's out of the hospital and home.
My godmother did that; drove into the front of bank.   (She's in her late 70's) Having to have that discussion about giving up the drivers license was a tough one, but she realized it was time. Sometimes the hardest conversation are with the ones we love.   I hope this drivers family will be strong and have this discussion too.
Hope the clerk recovers quickly too! How scary for her!!Â
we need to ban old people driving, they are far more dangerous than any gun.
The legislature needs to do something about elderly drivers in this session before someone gets killed. It's time for mandatory retesting after age 70.
Used this gas station just a few hours before the accident. Â I wonder if it's the same nice clerk who helped me this morning. Â Hope she recovers quickly.
 @Cartmanland I just heard from her. She's bruised and banged up. Other than that she's ok.
I hope this is not the friend I know that works there. Speedy recovery to whoever got hurt.
Ouch, My mom doesn't do that and she is..well I am not going to say how old my parents are. Needless to say dad still puts around on his tractors.
It's about time to change those rules for elderly drivers to have driving tests again later in life.Â
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Speedy recovery to the clerk! Hope she's not too banged up.
Hey, this is my gas station. Also, regular driving tests for those over, oh, 65 or so.
 @2C7D6152Â
And those under 25 since they are the most dangerous age group out there. They are more likely to kill someone that those over 65.
Old people driving ridiculously large tanks... never ends well.