Apple Store in Greater Boston Area Struck by Vehicle, Several Casualties Reported

[Benjamin Nabulsi]

If it was a Tesla, the media would be walking in the street protesting

 

[icanhazmac]

I will never forget the time when I was driving with new, clunky snow boots on, and as I took my foot off the gas to hit the break, my boot (size 13 + snow boot girth) got wedged in between the gas and the brake pedal, and I could not immediately unlodge it. In fact, as I was trying to unlodge it, my big boot hit the gas briefly and the vehicle accelerated before I was able to break free. I had to swerve not to hit another car. It was a flook, never happened before, but it was a terrifying few seconds - and sometimes, that's all it takes.

Can happen for sure. I stupidly hopped in the car quick with flip-flops on and I won't be making that mistake again. Thankfully nothing bad happened but the confusion that occurs when all of a sudden you can't free your foot it terrifying.

I'll reserve judgement until we know more.

 

[Wyvernspirit]

I know the area well including that shopping area. He may have had 500' to get up to speed; maybe 600 if he came from behind the store across the parking lot from apple. If not deliberate, where are the skid marks from attempted braking? Did those fail as well?

If his foot got stuck on the accelerator it means he couldnt get to the brake, no skid marks would be seen.

 

[Chazak]

In some articles on this in other media, I have read an inference from police officials that they are looking into the possibility this was intentional and not any kind of "accident."

 

[Chazak]

Welp, guessing an oldster is about to lose his/her license.

....or an oldster who shouldn't be driving any more. Happens a lot around here.

Interesting since the vast majority of fault for auto accidents of any type is attributed to "youngsters" 35 and younger.

I sm guessing some youngster is about to be charged with at least reckless driving if not something worse.

Update: The driver is 52 (not exactly an "oldster" or a "youngster" and claims it was an accident.

 

[Realityck]

If his foot got stuck on the accelerator it means he couldnt get to the brake, no skid marks would be seen.

It still doesn't explain the direction the SUV traveled?

 

[mw360]

I know the area well including that shopping area. He may have had 500' to get up to speed; maybe 600 if he came from behind the store across the parking lot from apple. If not deliberate, where are the skid marks from attempted braking? Did those fail as well?

You don’t need 500’ to build up enough speed to kill someone. An accident like this happened a couple of miles away from me in a tiny car park with about 30 spaces and no run up. Older driver had an episode got confused, hit the accelerator thinking it was the brake, killed 2 people. The thing about hitting the pedals that way is that when instinct makes you hit the brake hard, you actually accelerate aggressively.

 

[mw360]

Look at the below image, how did a SUV hitting the accelerator go from the right side of the lane going thru the parking lot, into the Apple store, that direction is considerable off to the left?

He should have in all rights drove into Burtons which is right in from of the lane you would utilize? That kinda implies he had lost control of the SUV before he got close to the Apple Store.

Surely that would be easily explained by him swerving to avoid pedestrians or other traffic?

 

[chrfr]

The vehicle is a 2019 model 4Runner. Those are made in Japan. Did the accelerator issue affect Japan made vehicles also or only US made.

The recall only affected cars made roughly 10 years before this one was built.

 

[T Coma]

There are so. Many. Ways. To stop a vehicle besides the brake pedal. How about shifting out of the drive gear? Or shutting it off?

I wasn't there, I don't know specifically how it happened, and therefore I can't say I've been in a situation like this, but I know exactly how to avoid it, and that's exactly what I would have done.

Yeah! Good job, me!

I get that people panic, but he truth is that this guy has DUIs on his record. I don't believe for a second that his foot got stuck.

I have never seen a better example of a non-sequitur.

 

[Realityck]

Surely that would be easily explained by him swerving to avoid pedestrians or other traffic?

Look at how angled the SUV position is after going through the plate glass. The store was off to the left somewhat not in line with the street approaching Burtons. Yes he could have swerved at the last couple of seconds, but he made it a lot worse.

 

[Chazak]

There are so. Many. Ways. To stop a vehicle besides the brake pedal. How about shifting out of the drive gear? Or shutting it off?

I get that people panic, but he truth is that this guy has DUIs on his record. I don't believe for a second that his foot got stuck.

Everybody has an opinion here, but facts would be a great thing when leveling serious accusations against someone.

He does not, as you say, have DUI"s." The distinction between one DUI and more than one DUI is quite important when assessing the driver.. He had DUI citation in VT. I did not find anything that said what the disposition of the citation was. There is no record of any other incident involving alcohol. According to the police, he blew a 0.0 on the breathalyzer test immediately at the accident.

There is no evidence or statements from police, at least so far, that this is anything more than a very horrible tragedy. That could change, but it is now 36 hours after the accident and his identity is known. By now, there is nothing they don't know about him. There are no stories of him having shady connections, politically, criminal or otherwise.

So given all that, I am wondering why a person would assume that the driver is involved in something nefarious and the accident was not an accident or that alcohol was involved..

 

[bruinsrme]

You don’t need 500’ to build up enough speed to kill someone. An accident like this happened a couple of miles away from me in a tiny car park with about 30 spaces and no run up. Older driver had an episode got confused, hit the accelerator thinking it was the brake, killed 2 people. The thing about hitting the pedals that way is that when instinct makes you hit the brake hard, you actually accelerate aggressively.

Yeah that's the case here. Don't be disappointed when the state police release their findings.

 

[Chazak]

What the driver is charged with (reckless homicide with motor
Vehicle), seems pretty light given what he did, 1 person dead, 20 injured.

That means they can not establish nefarious intent and charged him with what seems to be the correct charges based on what I am reading in most places.

 

[bruinsrme]

You don’t need 500’ to build up enough speed to kill someone. An accident like this happened a couple of miles away from me in a tiny car park with about 30 spaces and no run up. Older driver had an episode got confused, hit the accelerator thinking it was the brake, killed 2 people. The thing about hitting the pedals that way is that when instinct makes you hit the brake hard, you actually accelerate aggressively.

wait for the trial when video evidence is made public. I can guarantee everyone deflecting the blame away from him will be disappointed.

 

[SSDGUY]

I hope lots of people here don't ever get selected for jury duty.

 

[Rod Rod]

This store has been there since 2006, so who would have ever thought an event like this would occur. The other thing is the store was clearly using thick security glass.

The first SUV into Apple Store incident I’m aware of happened in Temecula in 2012.

Apple knew an event like this could occur for at least the last 10 years. That’s why a number of vehicle-traffic-facing Apple stores including Temecula have since had bollards installed in front of them.

 

[compwiz1202]

If his foot got stuck on the accelerator it means he couldnt get to the brake, no skid marks would be seen.

People have two feet. One time mine got stuck so I hit the brake with my left while I got it unstuck. And there is also an ebrake. I don't think some cars would let you shift since they don't let you in reverse going too fast. There needs to be a way on cars to instantly drop to neutral. Would rather have a blown engine than people die

 

[OCS12]

wait for the trial when video evidence is made public. I can guarantee everyone deflecting the blame away from him will be disappointed.

I'm not sure why you say that. The people "deflecting blame" are simply saying that we don't actually know what happened yet, and just discussing possibilities. Everything from intentional to the "foot got stuck" option is quite possible at this point based on the information available to the public. I'm not deflecting anything, but I'll wait to blame the driver for anything more than an accident until I see evidence.

 

[mw360]

Look at how angled the SUV position is after going through the plate glass. The store was off to the left somewhat not in line with the street approaching Burtons. Yes he could have swerved at the last couple of seconds, but he made it a lot worse.

I’m sorry I don’t understand your insistence that a person who has lost control of their car would only drive in a straight line directly into a brick wall. I don’t know where that’s coming from at all. He doesn’t claim to have been unconscious or unable to steer, so why is the straight line his only option?

wait for the trial when video evidence is made public. I can guarantee everyone deflecting the blame away from him will be disappointed.

I certainly will be disappointed if it turns out a guy drove at a store full of people on purpose. Who wouldn’t be? But I won’t regret keeping an open mind and questioning truthy logic, and anonymous sources.

 

[kingtj1971]

You don’t need 500’ to build up enough speed to kill someone. An accident like this happened a couple of miles away from me in a tiny car park with about 30 spaces and no run up. Older driver had an episode got confused, hit the accelerator thinking it was the brake, killed 2 people. The thing about hitting the pedals that way is that when instinct makes you hit the brake hard, you actually accelerate aggressively.

Yep... Happens fairly often here in the St. Louis area. Older person tries to park in one of those spaces with lines painted for them across the front of a shop. Accidentally hits accelerator instead of brake and drives through the front window/entrance.

 

[bruinsrme]

I’m sorry I don’t understand your insistence that a person who has lost control of their car would only drive in a straight line directly into a brick wall. I don’t know where that’s coming from at all. He doesn’t claim to have been unconscious or unable to steer, so why is the straight line his only option?

I certainly will be disappointed if it turns out a guy drove at a store full of people on purpose. Who wouldn’t be? But I won’t regret keeping an open mind and questioning truthy logic, and anonymous sources.

Please keep an open mind especially when the state police release their findings, video is released and the DA can’t substantiate their claims.

 

[bruinsrme]

I'm not sure why you say that. The people "deflecting blame" are simply saying that we don't actually know what happened yet, and just discussing possibilities. Everything from intentional to the "foot got stuck" option is quite possible at this point based on the information available to the public. I'm not deflecting anything, but I'll wait to blame the driver for anything more than an accident until I see evidence.

You won’t have to wait long.

 

[compwiz1202]

Yep... Happens fairly often here in the St. Louis area. Older person tries to park in one of those spaces with lines painted for them across the front of a shop. Accidentally hits accelerator instead of brake and drives through the front window/entrance.

There were signs everywhere when we went to Philly stating the massive increase of death chance for a pedestrian hit by a car going 35 vs 25

 

[reeneebob]

Yep... Happens fairly often here in the St. Louis area. Older person tries to park in one of those spaces with lines painted for them across the front of a shop. Accidentally hits accelerator instead of brake and drives through the front window/entrance.

We had three in my town last year. Two elderly and one a younger woman who had a medical emergency.

The ironic one was the old guy who left his insurance brokers office, thought he put it in reverse, and drove through the front of his brokers building. I bet his policy got cancelled…