I honestly thought this was a joke…
Not a joke. No serious injuries, but Reese Witherspoon was hit by a car yesterday while she was enjoying a Wednesday jog in Santa Monica. She was in a crosswalk when an 84 year old driver struck her while driving approximately 20 mph.
Fortunately, the contact didn’t result in any major injuries. Witherspoon was treated for minor injuries at a nearby hospital and released. Now she can tell fans and peers what it’s like to be hit by an NFL linebacker without any padding.
The accident actually occurred in a crosswalk, yet not in a tradition crosswalk at a traffic signal. If you’ve ever been jogging, walking or just tooling around in Santa Monica, you’re aware of the crosswalks that are kind of in the middle of a street or avenue, relying heavily on the driver seeing you there so that they might: “Yield to Pedestrian.”
Sure, if you take the time to hit the button, some of the crosswalks have flashing lights at the street level which are designed to draw attention to your crossing. Effective for crossing during the evening–highly ineffective for 84 year old ladies who struggle to see over the steering wheel.
I’m all for the privilege of driving–at any age; however, there is little logic that once you pass the test, you get to possess a license so long as you can pass an eye exam and pay the few bucks to get it renewed before expiration. It would make sense, as people hit decade milestones, that they should take a driving test again.
It was in 2003 that an 86 year old man plowed through the Santa Monica Farmers’ Market, killing 9 and injuring over 50. After the accident he told police he couldn’t stop–that he might have hit the accelerator instead of the brake.
I rest my case.
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