93-year-old drove 3 miles with body through windshield

[mcs328]

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/...y-driver_x.htm

93-year-old drove 3 miles with body through windshield
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — A 93-year-old driver apparently suffering from dementia fatally struck a pedestrian and drove for three miles with the man's body through his windshield, police said.

Ralph Parker was stopped after he drove through a toll booth on the Sunshine Skyway, Traffic Homicide Investigator Michael Jockers said. The toll taker called police, he said.

Parker was not likely to face charges because he did not appear to know what happened or where he was, said Bruce Bartlett, chief assistant in the Pinellas-Pasco County State Attorney's Office.

"He may have somewhere in his mind have realized it was a crash, but immediately forgot about it," Jockers said.

The victim's leg was severed in the Wednesday night crash, police said. The man, whose name was not released, was 52.

Parker had renewed his license in 2003. (Related link: AARP checklist on when to stop driving)

"That was the one thing he had, to get in his car and just drive for the sheer enjoyment of driving," Jockers said. Parker lived alone after his wife died in 1998, authorities said.

[DarkFury]

Take... their... license... and... keys.... AWAY!!!!

[ooBaKeep]

Good Lord!

[bachviet]

He's way too old to drive.

[guiseppewv]

Take... their... license... and... keys.... AWAY!!!!

This is why old people need to be tested more often. Also, when his doctor diagnosed him for dementia then he should have had to report it to the DMV.

[esme]

there should be some kind of rule that if an elderly person has a license and the person's doctor knows that elderly person can't drive then they should notify the dmv right away .....

[Thesifer]

I read the headline and thought he drove with himself in the windshiled was disappointed to find out otherwise. I agree with taking his license. Too many old people that can't drive or drive too slow for the conditions.

[Grimm]

So, somebody has to die so this #*%)@( can lose his licence.

"It's not his fault, he has dementia". Bullpuckey! Someone who drinks and drives knows he shouldn't be doing it when he is sober, but they are still prosicuted. This guy knew he should give up driving but chose not to. So when he had a spell, someone died because of his selfish choice. Why isn't he held responsible?

A doctor is not a cop, it's not his job to make sure someone isn't driving. people can lie anyway so it won't work.
Adults, like this 93 year old need to make the correct choices. When they don't they are dangers to society. We have places for people like that.

[MikeD]

So, somebody has to die so this #*%)@( can lose his licence.

It's a shame that a 52 year old man had to lose his life here. While the focus should be on the driver (i.e., take his keys forever), the victim shouldn't be forgotten.

Guy could have had kids, grandkids...in the prime of his life.

[oblongmelon]

man that sucks. Dementia is a terrrible thing. I hope I never suffer from it..
I have older relatives who still drive, and they are over the age of 90, but they are fit in mind, and body according to their physicians..everyone gets them to try and stop driving claiming their going to have a heart attack and die while behind the wheel, but that can happen to anyone I guess.. all these years and no tickets (and they don't drive 20 mph)..they must know what they are doing..

[brainsmile]

When I hit 80 I'm moving to a nice quiet area and getting me a NICE golf cart with A/C

[mechmike0034]

Dutch Mandel talks about aged drivers in this week's print issue of AutoWeek.

[BigJon]

We've had a number of "wrong way drivers" getting on exits the wrong direction here in Columbus. A couple of them have caused accidents.

While the news doesn't want to bring it up as a whole, from my remembering each individual accident...most of them were older drivers. Keeping in mind that all of these exits are marked "DO NOT ENTER" or "WRONG WAY" they've actually gone to the point of putting up about 6-8 signs at each "wrong way" section. There are like two on either side of the road and a couple hanging above. My recommendation would just be to install some of those spike strips that blow your tires if you drive on them the wrong direction.

No offense to anyone or their elderly family members...but I'm all for the "too old, too bad" campaign. If you are too old to drive, you have problems with vision, hearing, comprehension and such, then too bad...no license for you.

[Sirrich3]

Take the Keys, license and car away...

[bricheese]

jeeeeze he should not be driving. I cant belive they let him have a liscence with his condition. alittle old grrrrrrr

[cheapie]

driving is not a right. too old? turn teh keys over! responsible kids should never let their parents keep driving if they shouldn't be on the road.

[Houdini]

So, somebody has to die so this #*%)@( can lose his licence.

"It's not his fault, he has dementia". Bullpuckey! Someone who drinks and drives knows he shouldn't be doing it when he is sober, but they are still prosicuted. This guy knew he should give up driving but chose not to. So when he had a spell, someone died because of his selfish choice. Why isn't he held responsible?

Not necessarily. If the guy was suffering from severe dementia, he may have not known exactly what he was doing. It's not like someone who drinks (affecting judgment) and drives. This guy may not have known he shouldn't be driving. I've seen similar cases (especially in the forensic psych facility) where people are not responsible for their actions due to their mental states. If you lose the ability to tell right from wrong or to control impulses, etc., due to state of mind or mental illness (assuming mental status isn't altered by intentional use of mind-altering drugs), are you really responsible? I wholeheartedly contest your assertion that he made a selfish choice. Yes, the consequences are bad, but perhaps nobody deserves blame in this particular case. Should the guy have had better supervision through family/friends? Maybe, but that's not always possible.

[rollhard]

When I hit 80 I'm moving to a nice quiet area and getting me a NICE golf cart with A/C

hehe, we dont want to read about you driving around in a golf cart with someone through the windshield either. Better to just leave the keys...