An investigation is underway after authorities say an 81-year-old driver plowed into the front of a Kroger store yesterday in Ypsilanti Township, leaving a car wedged against the storefront while police sort out exactly what went wrong.
According to CBS News Detroit, investigators were on scene yesterday after the vehicle struck the building. Video from the outlet shows the car up against the damaged entrance as emergency crews secured the area. Officials have not yet released information on injuries or what caused the crash.
Part of a bigger pattern
As dramatic as it looks, a car in a store window is unfortunately not a one-in-a-million fluke. Vehicle-into-building crashes happen far more often than most people realize and can cause severe injuries and major property damage, according to the Storefront Safety Council, which tracks these incidents nationwide.
Older drivers and pedal error
Safety experts say several factors can be at play in these kinds of crashes, from sudden medical issues to what is known as "pedal misapplication" - when a driver mistakenly hits the accelerator instead of the brake, often at low speeds in parking lots and driveways.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) notes that age-related changes in vision, reaction time and overall health can affect driving, and it offers guidance and resources aimed at helping older drivers and their families make safer choices behind the wheel.
How businesses reduce risk
On the property side, planners and business owners are not completely at the mercy of bad luck. Protective design features such as crash-rated bollards, raised curbs, heavy planters and parking-lot layouts that avoid a straight shot from traffic lanes to front doors can all help blunt the force of a vehicle that veers off course, according to recommendations from the Storefront Safety Council.
Local safety context
The crash comes as Ypsilanti Township is already trying to get a handle on broader traffic and pedestrian safety concerns. In the wake of other serious collisions, the township has begun rolling out improvements such as flashing beacons and pavement changes at higher-risk intersections as part of a wider effort to make roads and parking areas safer, according to WXYZ.
For now, investigators are focused on piecing together what led up to the Kroger crash, while local officials continue to push longer-term fixes aimed at keeping both drivers and shoppers out of harm’s way.
