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Mother and baby injured as car crashes into Danvers Wal-Mart

E-mail|Link|Comments () June 2, 2009 12:58 PM

By Terri Schwartz and Stewart Bishop, Globe Correspondents

A 93-year-old man drove his car into the entrance of a Wal-Mart in Danvers today, injuring a mother and the one-year-old baby girl she was pushing in a stroller. A preliminary investigation suggested the driver had stepped on the gas when he meant to step on the brake, police said.

The man drove into the Wal-Mart off Andover Street at 9:59 a.m. He refused treatment, but his 90-year-old wife, who was in the passenger seat, was taken to the hospital as a precaution. The mother and child were also taken to hospitals. Three other people were also transported because of the shock of the accident. None of the injuries were life-threatening, said Deputy Fire Chief Kevin Farrell said.

Police Sergeant Robert Bettencourt said the man and his wife were looking for a parking spot when his Toyota Camry crashed into the store. He said preliminary investigation indicated the driver mistakenly hit the gas pedal when he was trying to push the brakes.

"We were fortunate that there weren't more injuries," said Bettencourt, a department spokesman. "Considering the time of day, 10 in the morning, they're very busy around that time."

Tony Mendia said he was in the electronics department at the back of the store when he heard a shattering sound. "Then I heard the screams and I said, something is very wrong," he said.

He went to the front, he said, and saw people running "everywhere." He saw the car and the couple inside.

"They were just sitting there very calm. They weren't fidgeting or anything," he said.

The car rammed into two cash register stations inside the store, Farrell said.

The car could be seen inside the building this morning, resting in the cash register area, as officials worked on the accident reconstruction. It was pulled out and towed away in the early afternoon. Farrell said there was no structural damage, but the total bill could be $50,000 to $60,000. The store is expected to reopen tomorrow.

Joe Vieira of Peabody said his wife, Donna, usually worked at one of the registers that was hit, but she was moved to another one today.

Tonight, he said, "We'll go play the Lottery because -- imagine! -- that is lucky," he said.

The car narrowly squeezed through concrete posts meant to keep cars from getting into the entrance, authorities said.

"It's amazing that the car actually went through there," Vieira said.