At this year's 4th of July Parade in Santa Monica, an elderly driver struck a child who was watching the parade. The driver managed to get past barricades and make it onto the parade route. Witnesses described her driving as "fast" and "dangerous."
Parents and children lined the Main St. parade route when the driver's car barreled onto Main St. Parents lunged for their children and pulled them out of the driver's path, while other parade bystanders swarmed the car and forced the driver to stop.
The driver's car hit a child who was standing on Main St., between Ashland Ave. and Hill St. The child suffered only minor injuries.
According to the Santa Monica Police Department's public information officer, Sgt. Richard Lewis, the driver lost her driver's license when she failed a reissuing test months earlier. The elderly driver, in her late 70's, told police at the scene that she was planning to re-take the test the next day, on July 5th.
The driver was cited and given a DMV Driver's Reevaluation, which will require her to pass a written test and driving test before she will get her license returned.
The incident was reminiscent of 2003's Santa Monica Farmer's Market tragedy, when an elderly driver drove through a crowded Farmer's Market, killing 10 people.
At McGee, Lerer & Associates, our Santa Monica personal injury lawyers are experienced in representing pedestrians who are struck by careless drivers. If you or someone you care about has been injured in a car accident, call our attorneys for a free consultation. Daniel McGee and Catherine Lerer each have over 18 years of experience representing serious injury accident victims.