Woman critically injured in freak accident in restaurant parking lot

A freak accident in the parking lot of Longhorn Steak House at The Avenue Mall has left a woman critically injured. The incident is currently under investigation by the Murfreesboro Police Department Fatal Accident Crash Team (FACT).

MPD officers responded to the parking lot of the restaurant on Medical Center Parkway at 2:58 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 23.

The accident involved a Honda CRV, which had been modified for use as a mail carrier vehicle with an accelerator and brake pedal installed on the passenger side.

The preliminary investigation shows a woman in the driver’s seat had initially reversed out of a parking space to allow a man in a wheelchair to enter the vehicle. The man, who recently suffered a stroke and has no feeling on his left side, was assisted into the SUV by another woman.

As the man was getting into the SUV, his foot accidently pressed the accelerator pedal, causing the vehicle to reverse and spin out of control. The SUV struck a parked vehicle, pinning the woman who was standing outside between the two vehicles. The out-of-control SUV continued to reverse, crashing into two additional parked vehicles before coming to a stop.

Personnel with the Murfreesboro Fire Rescue Department and Rutherford County Emergency Medical Services began medical care. The woman was taken to St. Thomas Rutherford Hospital and later taken to Vanderbilt Medical Center where she is in critical condition.

The other woman and the man were not hurt.

The crash remains under investigation by FACT.

The FACT team investigates fatal crashes and crashes where patients are severely injured.