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Updated: SUV Plows Through Trader Joe’s Entrance

February 10, 2022 | 3:01 PM - Updated on December 23, 2022 | 10:30 PM
in CRIME, NEWS, POLITICS
64


Photo by Ed Hersh.

A white Subaru SUV smashed through the front entrance of Trader Joe’s on 92nd Street and Columbus Avenue on Thursday afternoon at around 1:10 PM.

“According to a cop on the scene, someone was parallel parking and may have hit the gas instead of the brake,” wrote bystander Ed Hersh. “Amazingly, no one was hurt, per this officer.”

Council member Gale Brewer’s team was on the scene and she is speaking with the 24th precinct.

We are awaiting more information and will update this if we learn more.

Update, 4:09 PM: The driver of the car, which has a Massachusetts license plate, was “a 75-year-old woman who lost control of the vehicle while trying to park, causing her to hit the building,” an NYPD spokesperson told the Rag. “A female pedestrian, 69, was struck, and removed to St.Luke’s [Mount Sinai Morningside] hospital. Her condition was not reported. The driver remained at the scene. There didn’t appear to be any criminality involved.”

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64 Comments
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Mark Moore
Mark Moore
3 years ago

How the heck is that even possible, even for a Massachusetts driver? They went on the sidewalk, through the scaffolding and into the store backwards like that? Take that person’s drivers license away.

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Irate Partisan
Irate Partisan
3 years ago
Reply to  Mark Moore

Anything is possible for a Massachusetts driver

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RL
RL
3 years ago

hard to end up backwards in the store while parallel parking??

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Steven
Steven
3 years ago
Reply to  RL

Well, she’s still parallel to something!

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Rebecca
Rebecca
3 years ago
Reply to  Steven

In that picture she is clearly perpendicular parking into the store.

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Kay McFadden
Kay McFadden
3 years ago
Reply to  Rebecca

Looks like a classic Boston left.

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ben
ben
3 years ago

This person needs to have his/her license taken away and be sent back to driving ed.

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Kim
Kim
3 years ago

I cannot for the life of me figure out how you do that. This person needs to take their drivers test again because I have serious doubts they can drive safely.

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B.B.
B.B.
3 years ago
Reply to  Kim

Many who cannot parallel park well, or at all, do not know how to line up their vehicle to back-into space correctly.

Thus when they reverse and turn wheels to right vehicle ends up at a 45 degree angle or steeper, almost as if they are backing up into a driveway or 45 degree park.

If driver pushes down on accelerator while vehicle is in that position it will zoom back wards with great speed, power and force.

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KJ
KJ
3 years ago

This is more evidence of an obvious point: outside of NYC, no-one actually knows how to parallel park! (Just joking)

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CZ
CZ
3 years ago

When people reach age 75, they should not be able to drive. This happens way too often.

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Norm Zinker
Norm Zinker
3 years ago
Reply to  CZ

Oh really? Want to take away our right to vote too?

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Barklesby
Barklesby
3 years ago
Reply to  CZ

I know plenty of drivers in their 20s and 30s that are horrible drivers. And BTW, my “old” father had to parallel park his 25 year old neighbor’s car only recently, because the 25 year old “didn’t know how to”. May you live so long.

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Robin
Robin
3 years ago
Reply to  CZ

That’s a ridiculous generalization to say that one 75+ should lose their license to drive!
If you want to generalize, then we should disallow all young males from driving as well! They seem to be the most reckless!
However, I wouldn’t disagree that everyone should be required to take a driving test when they reach a certain age (TBD)

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robert miller
robert miller
3 years ago
Reply to  CZ

Please put into writing that you will cancel your driver’s license when you reach the old age of 75 since 75 seems so very od to you?

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Ish Kabibble
Ish Kabibble
3 years ago
Reply to  CZ

I’m know where near that age and I have to say that CZ’s comment is vile. To lump all people into a category like you’ve done is ignorant at a minimum and offensive to all.

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Ish Kabibble
Ish Kabibble
3 years ago
Reply to  Ish Kabibble

*nowhere near

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lynn
lynn
3 years ago
Reply to  CZ

You should check the actual statistics. Not everyone who hits age 75 automatically becomes incompetent. Outside of NYC (or any city) where there’s no public transportation people need to drive, not just for a living but to get through their daily lives. There are cross-country truck drivers who continue to work in their 70’s and 80’s.

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Michele
Michele
3 years ago

I don’t believe she was parallel parking. I go to that store all the time. There are always trucks unloading in the front. You can’t even get near that entrance. Something is weird here.
I always have to wait for my Ubers on the corner.

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Todd
Todd
3 years ago
Reply to  Michele

Exactly the same for me. It’s so weird, at that angle, isn’t it? Since the carts lock now, they unlock it and walk me to corner for my Lyft. Nice of them. I can’t figure how she got to that position…plus the fact I was going to walk to TJs that exact time, changed my mind and walked to library instead. Karma.

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Zed
Zed
3 years ago

You can’t park there at 1 pm. It’s reserved for commercial vehicles until 4 pm. So she can’t read in addition to being a terrible driver.

Resident parking permits would solve this problem, she’d have to find a garage like all the other out of state squatters.

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B.B.
B.B.
3 years ago
Reply to  Zed

What? You think native NY’ers are any better at driving or parking than those from other states? I don’t think so…

Have watched persons driving vehicles with NYS plates attempting to parallel park a Mini Cooper for over ten minutes into a space you could fit the Big Mo.

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bipper
bipper
3 years ago
Reply to  Zed

You can’t park in produce at 1:00?

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Lauren
Lauren
3 years ago
Reply to  bipper

Thank you for making me laugh hysterically.

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SadforUWS
SadforUWS
3 years ago
Reply to  bipper

Cleanup on aisle sidewalk

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Dasa Obereigner
Dasa Obereigner
3 years ago

Two people were injured. My daughter,a 21-year-old Barnard student, was not treated at the scene but later at urgent care. She was exiting the store when the car came straight at her. She managed to jump partially out of the way but was hit in the hip and right arm.

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Daniela Sciaky
Daniela Sciaky
3 years ago
Reply to  Dasa Obereigner

Hope she quickly recovers.

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WombatNYC
WombatNYC
3 years ago

Masshole!

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Boris
Boris
3 years ago

It’s comforting to know that Gale Brewer’s team is on the scene.

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robert
robert
3 years ago
Reply to  Boris

Why??? She and her staff could do nothing. They arrived after the fact for the PR, nothing else. There will be some statements about this or that, but that’s all

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Boris
Boris
3 years ago
Reply to  robert

Your sarcasm meter is broken

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Rex
Rex
3 years ago
Reply to  Boris

Yes, Gale will probably write some overly complex law that will prevent people from walking on the sidewalk to keep them safe.

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Nancy
Nancy
3 years ago

There is something very wrong here. Columbus Ave in front of Trader Joe’s is usually cordoned off to allow trucks to unload supplies for the store.
The angle of the SUV looks intentional. The driver needs an evaluation. She should not be driving. Period!!!!

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Self Driving Cars
Self Driving Cars
3 years ago

Headline needs to read “SUV DRIVER plows through Trader Joe’s” . It’s not a self driving car.

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dc
dc
3 years ago

I remember when my father decided he should no longer drive. How many older people don’t come to that decision themselves, but continue driving when they clearly shouldn’t?

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chuck d
chuck d
3 years ago

I’m loving all these Detective Lenny Brisko’s up in here thinking there’s something sus about how this accident happened…

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Cato
Cato
3 years ago
Reply to  chuck d

I just wish I knew what “sus” meant…..

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SadforUWS
SadforUWS
3 years ago
Reply to  Cato

suspicious. Your wish has been granted, now please give me a dollar.

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SadforUWS
SadforUWS
3 years ago
Reply to  chuck d

Briscoe. An acting legend.

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GGII
GGII
3 years ago

This is why I have been saying that they should build a large, plastic barrier between the sidewalk and the street.

This would prevent this type of accident from ever happening again, plus it would eliminate all jaywalking since you would have to go to the corner to cross the street.

My calculations show that it would only cost about $4 trillion dollars and could be completed by about 2110. Not bad.:)

What do ya say, Gale??

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Marie_UWS
Marie_UWS
3 years ago

This elderly driver should have her license revoked and ordered by a court not to drive anymore pending medical evaluation. Sometimes elderly people no longer have the mental capacity to drive and they endanger others. The car did not jump the curve directly in front of the entrance, there are intact scaffolding bars there. Looks like the driver jumped the curb and drove a considerable distance backwards down the sidewalk and then angled the car into the entrance. Looks like the driver did not have the capacity to drive or she would have hit the breaks long before crashing. (excluding the possibility of break malfunction)

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Josh
Josh
3 years ago
Reply to  Marie_UWS

These gas instead of brake situations are not as uncommon as we would hope. Instinctually, when you think you are pressing the brake and the car does not slow down, you press harder on the brake. Since she was pressing on the gas instead of the brake, thinking it was the brake, when she doubled down on the “brake, ” she accelerated much faster.

On a side note, besides the repairs (which her insurance will hopefully cover, how much money did Trader Joe’s lose being closed all that time?

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John E.
John E.
3 years ago

No way to pahk yah cah!

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KH
KH
3 years ago

I hope the folks who were injured have a speedy recovery!

Do we know if TJs is still open? Or are they going to be closed for repairs?

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Lynn
Lynn
3 years ago

Studying photo. This is weird as there are garbage bins in front that appear untouched. Car had to have come from further south, backwards to the north and then crashed, while trying to turn and get out. Also, have any of you considered the possibility driver had a medical incident?

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Upper Best Side
Upper Best Side
3 years ago

Agree with so many of you that this story makes no sense. There must be security camera footage from the store – I want to see it!

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Wysiwyg
Wysiwyg
3 years ago

So? Most importantly…has TJ reopened? If not when?

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Mark
Mark
3 years ago

93rd and Columbus (not 92nd).. just sayin 🙂

1
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Anne
Anne
3 years ago
Reply to  Mark

A lot of ageism here… I see dirt bikers and e bike menaces who are in their 20s… EVERYONE should be tested better— doesn’t have to do with age— idiots come all flavors😜

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nooyawker
nooyawker
3 years ago
Reply to  Anne

Indeed. Anyone else notice that ageism is the last totally acceptable form of bigotry in American society?

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AKE
AKE
3 years ago

Looks like ageism is rearing its ugly head in several of these posts. Those who posted them might want to consider the data showing those age groups which cause the greatest number of accidents.
https://aaafoundation.org/rates-motor-vehicle-crashes-injuries-deaths-relation-driver-age-united-states-2014-2015/
“…drivers ages 70-79 had crash rates similar to or lower than those of divers ages 40-59.” And they were lower than the 16-29 year olds, too.

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Gena Reisner
Gena Reisner
3 years ago

Yes TJ’s is open – I was there earlier today. Plywood over the door – I wondered why – thanks West Side Rag for explanation.

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Reply
CZ
CZ
3 years ago

It’s not ignorant and offensive. It’s common sense. At a certain age, people should not drive. And yes, I would surrender my license at age 75.

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David
David
3 years ago

In my first five years with a driver’s license, I had three accidents. In the sixty years since, none. …Except when that deer hit me last year…it was his fault!

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Nathana Josephs
Nathana Josephs
3 years ago

Maybe she was going into the drive through pick up.

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Ronke'
Ronke'
3 years ago

Thank God no one was seriously hurt or killed.

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B.B.
B.B.
3 years ago

These sort of incidents happen far more frequently than many realize. In this case we should be thankful things weren’t much worse.

https://nypost.com/2013/12/06/car-crashes-into-trader-joes/

Thing is modern motor vehicles are quite powerful, even mid-sized sedans, and certainly SUVs of all sorts. Thus when accelerator is slammed down (for any reason), vehicles will go from zero to zoom rather quickly.

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B.B.
B.B.
3 years ago

Assuming driver isn’t one of those people who live in NYC but has their vehicle registered elsewhere, she managed to drive that big MB SUV from MA to NYC without issues. So much for elderly being bad drivers….

For those not used to doing so parallel parking, especially in Manhattan can be an ordeal.

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yourNeighbor
yourNeighbor
3 years ago
Reply to  B.B.

Looks like a Subaru, not MB. Otherwise you are correct.

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Nia
Nia
3 years ago

Great to have a drive through option.

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Michael Schilke
Michael Schilke
3 years ago

Years ago while living in MA, I saw some crazy drivers, but this is a new and astounding first.

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B.B.
B.B.
3 years ago

Any scheme to test older or any persons to keep their drivers licenses is doomed to failure.

First and foremost contravening NYS law hundreds of residents continue to renew their out of state drivers licenses. People who have lived in NYS for decades still maintain NJ, PA, MA or licenses from wherever they were originally licensed.

Even when such drivers are cited judges routinely dismiss such charges (and fines) saying “no one cares about that…).

Next there are also hundreds who drive into NYC daily for employment, entertainment, visiting family, and so forth. Requiring NYS drivers to be retested will not affect this group either.

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Nancy
Nancy
3 years ago

SUVs are built on truck beds. They are heavy! They protect their drivers and passengers very well. Not so much pedestrians! Because they are heavy a driver who is of a small build, light weight, and not very strong, such as an older person, or shorter, slight person like a teen, often cannot control it or stop it fast enough, especially in a tense situation. Parallel parking for most non-NYC drivers is such a situation as is stopping at a “turning” red light. SUV drivers should require truck licenses!

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RM
RM
3 years ago

Cars are a menace and should be banned entirely from most UWS streets.

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Reply

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