Local News

Woman drives SUV onto second floor of Braintree’s South Shore Plaza

Police said the woman was elderly and that they've asked the RMV to suspend her driver's license.

By Susannah Sudborough

August 18, 2022

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In a rather bizarre incident Thursday, an elderly woman drove her SUV onto the second floor of South Shore Plaza in Braintree, passing by a few stores filled with confused customers and staff before stopping.

No one was injured in the incident, but the driver’s mental health was evaluated at the scene, and she was then taken to a local hospital for further evaluation, Braintree police said in a news release.

Braintree police said they responded to the mall at 11:45 a.m. and found a 2008 Lincoln MKX on the mezzanine level. The driver was still inside the car and shoppers were talking to her when police arrived.

Police said the woman drove the SUV from the south garage into the mall using a pedestrian bridge. A recent accident had caused the safety bollard to be removed, so the SUV was able to enter unobstructed once the automatic sensors opened the doors.

“The doors opened and she drove right in,” Braintree Deputy Chief Tim Cohoon told The Boston Globe.

The woman inched her SUV into the mall, turned left, and then drove about 60 yards before stopping, police said. As she drove, the SUV knocked over a planter and other items, causing minor damage to her car.

Police said mall management had already scheduled to have the safety bollard replaced, and that they said they’d get this done “as soon as possible.”

Police requested the RMV suspend the woman’s license.

Squishable, a company that makes stuffed animals and has a store in the mall, tweeted a picture of the SUV Thursday, saying “Our South Shore Plaza store is so awesome, people forget to park their cars outside!!”

Many videos of the incident have been shared by shoppers: