Elderly man drives with body in windshield

Zeo · Post by **Zeo** » Fri Oct 21, 2005 3:48 pm

More proof that there should be an age limit on driving for the elderly.

http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/10/21/elderl ... index.html

ST. PETERSBURG, Florida (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 tollbooth 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.

"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.

Misery_Chick · Post by **Misery_Chick** » Fri Oct 21, 2005 9:37 pm

Now you understand just one of the reasons I'm getting the hell out of here!!

Coor · Post by **Coor** » Sat Oct 22, 2005 12:46 am

Well I look at the elderly like I look at pets. Yea, it's a little fucked up, but I'm a fan of dignity.

iblis · Post by **iblis** » Sun Oct 23, 2005 1:38 pm

this reminds me of the time heather and i went to get some wine, and saw someone with a seeing eye dog go into the liquor store behind us...

if you can't see, you should not drive.
if you can't remain cognizant, you should not drive.

they take away people's licenses and cars for DUI - as well as throw them in jail - they should do the same to people who drive when they're too fucking old to see and/or think.

creapyrob · Post by **creapyrob** » Mon Oct 24, 2005 7:57 pm

well if you want to get technical they don't ALWAYS take away your license (but it's happened to a friend of mine who just recently got it back and I don't have to ferry him around anymore). THere was a guy in Loudon county that got his 7th DUI and had his license at the time.

In Texas they take your car after 2 DUI's (and sell it) and after 3 you cannot have a Texas State License again, ever.

Now the FAA will pull you ticket for a heart condition, and I think that after a point yeah people should be able to drive. But then again some people should never be allowed to drive ever.