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Elderly woman drives car into store in Bay Terrace

By Madina Toure

An elderly woman accidentally drove her car into a clothing store in Bay Terrace Sunday afternoon.

Witness Elissa Liebman, 72, a resident of Bay Terrace, said she was sitting in the pizza place nearby with her brother when people in the area started running.

The driver, who was operating a late model Honda Civic, suddenly drove her car into the Aéropostale store at 212-01 26th Ave. around 3 p.m., according to Liebman.

There were skid marks stretching back as far as halfway through the store and broken glass at the entrance.

“The woman supposedly lost control and she hit the gas instead of the brake,” Liebman said. “She went right for the store.”

The driver and another woman, who was either an employee or a shopper, were both taken out on stretchers, Liebman said.

She said there should be laws against elderly individuals driving to prevent such accidents from occurring.

“Everybody wants their independence but you get to a certain age and you have to know when to stop,” she said. “You put yourself in jeopardy and the people around you. It’s a terrible thing.”

Reach reporter Madina Toure by e-mail at mtoure@cnglocal.com or by phone at (718) 260–4566.