By John Woolfolk
San Jose Mercury News
SAN JOSE — An elderly woman was killed and six other people were injured this morning when a 90-year-old woman visiting a relative at a San Jose nursing home accidentally crashed her car into an exercise room.
Police were withholding the identities of the victims and the driver, who was not injured, citing an ongoing investigation and a need to first notify relatives. They were treating the matter as a tragic accident, and no charges were expected to be filed.
“She probably mistook the gas pedal for the brake,” San Jose police Sgt. Jason Dwyer said.
The 9:45 a.m. crash occurred at the Amberwood Gardens Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation Center at 1601 Peterson Ave. Director Stephen Hooker said the deceased victim was an 88-year-old woman who was struck by the car as it came through the room.
“She was a beautiful lady,” Hooker said. “My staff is just devastated by her passing and the way she passed. You’re just not prepared for a Saturday morning when someone drives a car through your window.”
Hooker said the driver was visiting a family member and parking her car when the vehicle suddenly hopped over a concrete parking block, lurched between two small trees and crashed through a window and into a common room where residents were gathering for exercises.
“We were just about to start and soon as you know it there was a big crash,” said Eric Chin, an activity leader for the center who was in the room. “I turned around and saw this car in the room 10 feet from me. You could hear glass breaking. A whole chunk of wall was gone. It was scary.”
Hooker said the residents who were in the room suffer from dementia. Their average age is 85. He said he is bringing a psychologist in Sunday to help the residents.
Chin said the extent of their injuries wasn’t immediately evident. One person was knocked from a wheelchair and was lying on a bloody floor.
“They weren’t really yelling,” Chin said. “They were more in shock.”
He tried to calm them by playing an Elvis Presley CD and bringing in Daisy the dog, their resident pet therapist.
“It seemed like they calmed down a lot,” Chin said.
One staffer was among the injured. She was treated for minor injuries and released. Hooker didn’t identify her and said she declined to be interviewed.
The uninjured driver “was just in tears,” Chin said. “She was in shock too. I feel bad for her.”
Kim Rentie of Visiting Angels, who works as a weekend caregiver for a 100-year-old resident she believes is among the injured, was in tears outside the center. She arrived after the incident and said she saw her charge’s sock and shoe.
“Her wheelchair was fully demolished,” Rentie said, wiping away tears. “Her shoe was full of blood.”
Copyright 2011 San Jose Mercury News
All Rights Reserved