87 Y.O. Plows Car Into Medical Center - 6 Injured

[matcom]

<snip>

Six people were injured, and three remain hospitalized, after a woman lost control of her car and drove into Medcenter One's lobby Monday morning.

Two women are in serious condition and one woman is in stable condition. Three other women were released Monday afternoon.

The car, a maroon 2005 Chrysler Sebring, came through the windows of a main waiting room near the rehabilitation entrance off Seventh Street. It took out the corner of the coffee kiosk and came to a stop near the partition for the entrance doors.

The driver, Ruth Otto, 87, of Mandan, had come to the medical center to pick up a prescription, Bismarck Police Sgt. Allen Nass said. When she pulled in behind another vehicle in the loop, she stepped toward the brake and lost control of the vehicle, hitting the wall and heading toward the lobby. Officials couldn't confirm whether Otto was one of the women hospitalized. The names of the other injured weren't released.

"It was total chaos," Bismarck Police Officer Dave Horner said. "There were so many people there that we didn't know who had been hit and injured, or who the witnesses were."

He said it was fortunate that so many doctors and nurses were nearby.

Chuck Bartholomay, Medcenter marketing director, said the car crashed through three panes of glass and came to a stop after hitting another wall. It wiped out a good part of the coffee corner in the hospital lobby, he said.

"The six women were taken to the emergency room immediately," Bartholomay said.

"I heard a bunch of noise,"Al John said.

http://www.bismarcktribune.com/articles/2005/10/25/news/local/104358.txt

[Shell Beau]

1. I guess the best place to get run over IS a medical center.

But this just adds to my question about regulations on drivers. :shrug:

[Hugin]

2. This is sort of like the story from a week or so ago...

Where the old guy forgot to get out of his car before he
went into the fast food place.

I can understand, especially in this situation.