Recent Crash Examples - May 31, 2011

Photo: Pasadena Fire Dept. via Pasadena Star News

Fifteen more crashes for the record books—12 in the U.S., 2 in Canada, 1 in the U.K.

Birmingham, MI: Elderly driver crashes through front window of exotic car dealership, damaging $80k Lotus (WXYZ ABC7 - May 31, 2011)

Toronto, ON, Canada: Taxi driver accidentally accelerates backward through window of Hotel Le Germain (CP24 - May 27, 2011)

Pasadena, CA: Driver crashes Prius into martial arts studio while parking, trapping employee in elevator—see photo above (Pasadena Star News - May 26, 2011) [Thanks to Mark Sillings for this tip.]

Naugatuck, CT: Thieves crash stolen car into convenience store for ATM heist. “Everything was messed up,” Ali Balal of the Sun Food Mart told News8. “My coolers and like all that stuff. It took them less than 30 seconds to take everything.” (WTNH News8 - May 25, 2011)

Oak Lawn, IL: 52-year-old bicyclist dies after crashing through window of vacant store (CBS Chicago - May 24, 2011)

New York, NY: SUV crashes into 99-cent store, prompting the distraught owner to comment: “I don’t know what I’m going to do now...This is a big headache for me. Just last week, another car ran into a store. This corner is very very bad for traffic.” (Patch - May 24, 2011)

Federal Way, WA: Driver's pedal confusion sends SUV smashing into Water to Go shop—where customers had just been standing (Federal Way Mirror - May 23, 2011)

New York, NY: Driver hits gas while accidentally leaving SUV in reverse gear, sending her through Rite Aid's windows, wall and into check-out stations, injuring two cashiers (NY Post & WCAX - May 23, 2011)

Toms River, NJ: 58-year-old driver cited after hitting gas instead of brake and crashing into man on bench, pushing him into store; two injured (Toms River NJ Online - May 22, 2011)

New York, NY: Two-vehicle collision sends U-Haul truck into building (Patch - May 22, 2011)

Chicago, IL: Two dead in two-car collision that sent one car into wall of check cashing store (ABC7 - May 22, 2011)

Wheaton, MD: Transit bus crashes into KFC restaurant (NBC Washington - May 20, 2011)

Springfield, OH: SUV crashes into elementary school (Springfield News-Sun - May 20, 2011)

Colchester, Suffolk, UK: 87-year-old driver succumbs months after he killed 16-year-old pedestrian in crash that pinned her against clothing store wall (EADT - May 17, 2011)

Langley, BC, Canada: Police officer loses control of cruiser and slams into restaurant wall (Langley Advance - May 6, 2011)