Police are investigating two separate cases of drivers plowing their cars into outdoor dining areas in East Side San Jose’s Little Saigon, injuring several people, imperiling the lives of at least two and killing one.
The first incident took place around 12:30pm Sunday at the Grand Century Mall, 1001 Story Road. Police say a 69-year-old man was trying to park his 2000 Toyota four-runner when he “accidentally accelerated forward into an outdoor dining area.”
According to SJPD, the driver struck three women and five men—all either of whom sat at various tables on a restaurant patio. All were transported to local hospitals, two with life-threatening injuries. The driver survived with only minor scrapes and bruises.
The second crash happened less than six hours later right down the street at 1960 Story Road, where a woman drove her 2009 F-150 into a strip mall parking lot and, according to police, “accidentally pressed the accelerator instead of the brake, causing the vehicle to travel forward into a pedestrian and a food trailer.”
The collision sent the pedestrian to the hospital with serious injuries. He died hours later, at 2am today. The driver, meanwhile, was unharmed.
Sunday’s second crash marked the 38th fatal traffic collision in San Jose and the 16th pedestrian fatality of 2020.
With so many people eating in parking lots and parking strips, it was only a matter of time before this kind of thing happened. Open the State Gov. Newsom and let people eat inside where it is SAFE!
They need to totally cut off parking from eating areas and make it pedestrian only in those areas. Only a week ago, my brother was trying to park his car on a up slope and did the same thing, and drove over the curb at a car repair place. I asked him what happened and he said he accidentally slammed on the gas instead of the brake. Luckily there was no one in front and he only hung up his car on the curb and had to have it towed back onto the pavement.
Yeah, I can see how something like this could happen. I’ve never really been a fan of al fresco dining with cars going by a few feet from my table. In Everett WA near where I’m at now they do have nice downtown with outdoor eateries, but those streets are completely closed off with barriers on weekends. That’s the only way I’d feel comfortable with.
Covid lockdowns kill!