A 92-year-old Woodstock resident crashed a 2025 Nissan into a building on Grand Street in Kingston on September 29, after reportedly putting the vehicle into drive instead of reverse and pressing the accelerator. The building sustained minor damage, and the driver was uninjured, though they were later taken to a hospital for reasons unrelated to the crash.
According to Newport Dispatch, the Nissan had been parked in a lot at 33 Grand Street when the operator attempted to back out of the spot. Instead, the vehicle lurched forward, drove toward the building, and collided with it. The Kingston Police Department received a report of a motor vehicle collision involving a building and responded to the scene, where officers found the vehicle had struck the structure directly.
Fire Crews Respond, Driver Taken to Hospital
The Kingston Fire Department also responded to the crash scene. Per the same account, the vehicle operator was uninjured in the collision but was transported by fire personnel to HealthAlliance Hospital for reasons described only as unrelated to the crash itself. No further medical details were provided in the report.
After the collision, the vehicle was moved from the building and back into a parking spot. The building's owner was informed of the incident, the outlet noted, and the structure was left with minor damage.
A Pattern Seen Elsewhere, With Limited Data
Pedal-misapplication crashes like this one have drawn attention in federal transportation research, though the available data is limited and the studies do not speak to this specific incident. One federal snippet found that older drivers were “particularly over-involved” in pedal misapplication crashes identified through media reports, according to a document published by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Separate federal data reviewed by Hoodline indicates that of 23 parking-lot pedal-misapplication crashes studied, nine, or 39 percent, occurred while the driver was moving in reverse, while eight involved a foot slipping from the brake to the accelerator, per a document hosted by rosap.ntl.bts.gov.
A North Carolina-focused analysis cited by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration found that vehicle stepover height and accelerator pedal position were among the factors most correlated with pedal-misapplication rates, producing a reported R2 value of 0.476 in a stepwise regression model — a figure researchers described as indicating only a general relationship rather than a definitive cause.
Not the First Building Strike in Kingston
Vehicles striking structures have not been uncommon around Kingston in the past year or so. A car crashed into a building at Roundout Plaza in August 2025, drawing a response from multiple fire engines and a medic unit, according to a report from CrimeRadar carried on NewsBreak. In March, a midday collision in the city's west end caused a vehicle fire and left a nearby house severely damaged, as reported by Kingstonist.
Kingston has also seen its share of other serious crashes this year. A rollover crash on August 11 left two people injured, according to News10, and a two-vehicle wreck at Greenkill Avenue and Pine Street in August sent one driver to the hospital and damaged a utility pole, Hudson Valley One reported. None of those incidents is known to be connected to the Grand Street crash.
