Fatal Livermore gym crash shines spotlight on dangers of elderly drivers
LIVERMORE, Calif. (KGO) -- Police believe an 80-year-old driver killed one person in Livermore Tuesday when she accidentally stepped on the wrong pedal.
The victim has been identified as 49-year-old Kathy Baker. She was the chief financial officer at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.
VIDEO: Lawrence Livermore Lab CFO killed after SUV crashes into gym
Police said Tuesday morning the elderly driver was trying to park when she had pedal confusion and pushed down on the gas instead of the brake. Baker was killed and five others were injured.
The accident is putting the spotlight on older drivers and the difficult question of when it's time to give up driving.
It's a topic many seniors don't like to talk about, especially when they're feeling as young as ever. For some, age has affected their driving.
"Your reaction time is a little off. People seem to be driving a little faster than they were when you were a little younger. Probably they aren't, maybe they are," said Mike Krause, a Marin County resident.
The CHP holds classes specifically for people 65 and older. It's called Age Well, Drive Smart and it's designed to help seniors identify warning signs.
There are the physical considerations, such as vision, hearing and range of motion.
"On top of that, as we get older, as we age, we do start to see cognitive impairment in people, so confusion, not necessarily knowing where they're at, things like that," said CHP Officer Andrew Barclay.
People who are concerned about a particular person being behind the wheel can fill out a DMV form requesting that a driver be re-evaluated.
Consuelo Quintero hopes that never happens to her. She loves the independence driving gives her.
"It's very important to drive. For me, it's life," Quintero said.
It's a sensitive topic, but one the CHP says is a matter of life and death.
