Encinitas CA— At about 2:40 p.m this afternoon, January 26, 2017, Deputies from the Traffic Division of the North Coastal Station responded to the parking lot of the Trader Joe’s at 115 N. El Camino Real, Encinitas for a call of a possibly intoxicated driver. When they arrived, they found that an 87-year-old female driver, in a 2002 Honda Accord, had struck four pedestrians at the entrance to the store.

The driver told the deputies she had been trying to back out of a parking space after leaving the store. She had confused the gas pedal for the brake and accelerated backward into the four women, whose ages ranged from early fifties to late eighties. The driver was found to not be intoxicated. One victim was transported by paramedic ambulance to Scripps La Jolla Hospital and two were taken to Scripps Encinitas.
At this time, the full extent of the victims’ injuries is not known; however, each complained of pain and one was being treated for potential broken bones.
Although the driver has lived in California for some time, she never obtained a California Driver’s License. She was cited for being unlicensed and her vehicle was impounded.
The collision investigation is continuing.