A woman is in critical condition following a bizarre accident in the parking lot of Longhorn Steak House at The Avenue Mall. This episode has prompted an investigation by the Murfreesboro Police Department's Fatal Accident Crash Team (FACT). According to the city's official statement, the accident occurred Monday afternoon when a modified Honda CRV, equipped with dual controls for mail carrier use, became an unintentional instrument of havoc.
As detailed in the preliminary investigation, the unusual setup of the Honda CRV, having both driver's and passenger's side pedals, has played a pivotal role. The injured woman had backed out of her parking spot to let a man in a wheelchair - who had recently sustained a stroke and lost feeling in his left side - quickly enter the vehicle. While assisted by another woman, the man's foot unintentionally hit the accelerator, causing the SUV to spin uncontrollably and collide with multiple parked cars. The chain reaction of the SUV's movement pinned the assisting woman between two vehicles before the car came to a halt.
Personnel from the Murfreesboro Fire Rescue Department and Rutherford County Emergency Medical Services rendered immediate medical assistance. The victim was rushed to St. Thomas Rutherford Hospital before being transferred to Vanderbilt Medical Center, where she remains in critical condition. Remarkably, neither the wheelchair user nor the other assisting woman sustained injuries in the incident.
