Chaos ensued in a Joliet Walmart parking lot when a 74-year-old woman was hit and pinned beneath a car on Tuesday afternoon, according to reports from local authorities.
The incident took place around 2:18 p.m., at the Walmart located at 2424 W. Jefferson Street, where a Chevrolet Cruze, operated by a 37-year-old man, reversed out of a spot and collided with a stationary Ford Escape waiting for another vehicle to back out, NBC Chicago reported. In the confusion that followed, the elderly passenger and the driver of the Escape exited to assess the damage, when the Cruze driver subsequently backed into the elderly woman, causing her to fall.
What appeared to be an accident escalated when the Cruze driver then drove forward, hitting the woman again while she lay on the ground and trapping her under the vehicle. FOX 32 Chicago detailed that the vehicle also struck an unoccupied parked car during the incident. Several people present attempted to help the victim and prevent the car from causing further injury.
Emergency services were quick to the scene, and the injured woman was transported to St. Joseph Medical Center with serious injuries. Despite the severity of the event, her injuries were reported to be non-life-threatening. As the investigation unfolded, the driver of the Cruze was taken into custody for questioning but has been released pending further inquiries. Bystanders and the trauma of an everyday errand exploding into a life-threatening situation remind the community of the unpredictable nature of life's every turn.
