Minivan runs into crowd at war memorial
WHDH
Published: June 3, 2009
Updated: June 3, 2009
PLYMOUTH, Mass.—Officials said a minivan jumped a curb Wednesday and plowed into a crowd gathering for a ceremony at a Vietnam War memorial in Plymouth.
Seven people were treated for injuries. Fire Chief Ed Bradley said no one appeared to have life-threatening injuries.
Bradley said the 73-year-old woman driving the slow-moving minivan had just dropped off her husband at the ceremony and may have experienced some kind of medical problem.
The crowd had gathered for an opening ceremony for The Moving Wall, a smaller, traveling replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C.
Six people were taken to Jordan Hospital, and one person was treated at the scene. The driver was also hospitalized.
Reader Reactions
There’s an car insurance commercial that indicates the leading cause of death among teenagers (aged something to something.. forgot) are car accidents. I think the instances with the elderly are just more terrfic and headline grapping because by plowing into a crowd there are more injuries, and sometimes fatalities. And let’s not forget that alota of southern new englanders are just maniacs behind the wheel, with the worst offenders in Boston, and Hartford, with RI a close runner up. My observations driving around esp. on the highway is that those mass plates are more often the speeders, tailgaiters, and lane weavers. Used to drive to Hartford quite a bit, and 65 mph apparently is slow for most Nutmeggers, and will get you tailgated. It’s just amazing to me that there aren’t more serious accidents on the highway…I guess a bunch of agitated new englanders all in a huff somehow works most of the time.
The problem is not all people have children or maybe there children are already have passed away. I totaly agree there has to be something. In some eldery complexs there are shuttles but there are to many who cant afford to live in such high end coomunities. I guess that is what RIPTA is for.. or should you say.. for if you live by a route.
Ot2hvfun….I totally agree with you as far as teenage drivers. As far as the elderly, I believe it is their children’s responsibility to help them..some children are so self centered and don’t remember the days when their mom and dad used to drive their A$$e$ all around town, take care of their kids when they had them, etc. When the parent becomes elderly it is a childs responsibility to take care of their parents until the end…like MOM and DAD did for them when they were little. I monitor my mom’s driving all the time and as soon as I think she can’t handle it…her keys are going to be thrown in a river…and I will step up to the plate and cart her around, like she did me when I was younger. Then we have the elderly people who didn’t have children….how do they get around??? I often wonder if somehow there could be shuttle services in which Medicare would pay for. I know that is a shot in he11….for Medicare to pay for anything extra. This is something I think of alot…I wish I could just come up with an answer.
Actually there are more crashes with death resulting with younger drives they speed, get behind the wheel drunk and are just a mess. I agree some people as they get older need to find other means of transpertation but how? some live alone and dont have means, which is not an excuse just a question. I have someone in my family who is eldery 84 to be exact, she drives everywhere and I would feel safe putting my children in the car with her. On the other hand another elderly person in the family had no use of either arm and the DMV would still give him his license together as a family didnt allow him to drive just use that as an ID which made everyone happy and he was in his late 70’s. Goes to show that you cant go by age sometimes.. Its the person.. are they healthy, can they perfom tasks? Is up the family to step and and stop them before the kill someone.. they see it before there is an accident usually.. More power to the ones you can still function and the ones who cant.. Attention to thier families.. TAKE THIER KEYS…
Ah. I figured you for a guy….my bad, I’m listening 
Ahhh, just trying to get a “rise” out of me….Well, I have nothing to rise and I definitely do not have any balls. 
I was just busting your balls 9
I have a long time to become a senior citizen….not 50 years…but maybe 25. Why don’t you google fatalities caused by senior citizens and see if you don’t agree with me after you read the info. Just this week alone (locally) we have had 2 where people are injured because the elderly are too proud to give up their license. How would you feel if it was a child of yours, grandchild, or other family member? I think your tone would definitely change…..NO????
When ARE you gonna reach that age J9?
50 years?
Again, please note the age! WTF is it gonna take? Retest the elderly yearly! You are considered elderly at the age of 65….And yes…I will agree to this when I reach that age!!
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