A car driven by an elderly woman accelerated through a parking space at the Sonoma Valley Center on Tuesday afternoon, slamming it against the building but somehow avoiding major damage to two glass storefronts. The woman, who likely hit the gas pedal instead of the brakes, was taken to the hospital for observation.
“It’s a miracle nobody got hurt,” said a nearby retailer.
Police said when the car jumped the curb, the jolt sent the car into a hard right turn, wedging the vehicle between a store entrance and a wooden pillar. The car was parked directly in front of Patt’s Copy World at the time of the 2:15 p.m. accident. Its acceleration bent a signpost and left skid marks on the walkway. The impact – the front end into a support pillar and the back end into the doorframe of the copy shop – caused the car’s air bags to deploy.
