7 hurt when car hits Plymouth crowd

At least seven people were brought to Jordan Hospital for treatment for bruises and chest pains, among other conditions. Police said none of the injuries were life-threatening, and the car was not traveling fast. But the incident was the second in as many days involving an elderly driver losing control of a car, terrifying a crowd of people.

"I'm still scared, still shaking," said Susan Best of Kingston, president of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Lady Auxiliary post in Plymouth, who was in the crowd struck by the minivan.

She was thrown to the ground, and suffered a bruised rib. A friend, Sheryl Pratt of Plymouth, was also thrown to the ground and was hospitalized with chest pains. Best said that before she realized what was happening she was tangled in the chairs, her friend on the ground hurt.

People told her: "Don't get up. Don't get up. Don't move. Don't move."

Police said they are still looking into what caused the driver, a 73-year-old woman, to lose control of the vehicle. The woman was not identified.

Witnesses told police she had just dropped her husband off and was trying to park in a handicap spot - she had a handicap decal, a witness said - when she somehow went over the curb. Police Captain John Rogers would not say whether the driver will face charges. Tire tracks could be seen extending about 40 feet from the curb into the seating area.

The accident is bound to spark new concerns over drivers after a similar accident on Tuesday. In that case, a 93-year-old man lost control of his car when he apparently stepped on the gas rather than the brake and drove into a Wal-Mart in Danvers, injuring a mother, her 1-year-old daughter, and four others.

State Registrar Rachel Kaprielian told the Globe that the man's driver's license was revoked after the Danvers accident for safety reasons. She said, however, that no data supports the belief that elderly drivers are more likely to cause accidents.

In the past, state legislators have debated bills about elderly drivers, but none have passed. Typically, the bills would require drivers 85 years or older to undergo more frequent testing.

Yesterday, scores of people had gathered for the unveiling of "The Moving Wall," a traveling half-size replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall in Washington, D.C. Opening ceremonies were about to begin, just before 4 p.m., when the minivan plowed through rows of chairs before several men were able to stop the vehicle with their hands.

"It was almost surrealistic, it didn't seem like it was going on," said David Stone, the town's veterans' services agent.

He said the driver was honking the horn while moving through the chairs.

The incident had spoiled the opening of what will be several days of ceremonies welcoming the wall replica to Plymouth.

But Kevin Ryan, commander of American Legion Post 40, which put together the event, said organizers decided to resume the ceremony once the car was removed and people were taken care of.

"It put a little bit of a damper on the situation, but we were there for a purpose," Ryan said.