MIAMI – A 7-year-old girl remained in critical condition Tuesday after a senior driving an SUV slammed into her and her mother outside of a drugstore off Coral Way the day prior.
Miami police said the 92-year-old driver confused the gas for the brake pedal on her Nissan Rogue and hit the pair outside of the Navarro Discount Pharmacy at 2120 SW 32nd Ave. just before 4 p.m. Monday.
The girl was knocked unconscious and taken to Jackson Memorial Hospital’s Ryder Trauma Center in critical condition, Miami police and fire spokespeople said. Good Samaritans rushed to rescue her immediately after the wreck.
Her mother was also hurt. She’s expected to survive, but the nonagenarian’s mistake could prove fatal for the young girl, police said.
“Unfortunately, she suffered major head injuries and some hip injuries. Now she’s doing very critical,” Officer Michael Vega, a Miami Police Department spokesperson, said on Tuesday. “We’re hoping that she recovers, but it’s still looking like she’s not doing very well.”
Police are now strongly urging older residents to re-evaluate their driving skills as they age.
“Talk to them and try to encourage that if they are in conditions where they are not driving well, tell them, ‘You might want to consider using an alternate (form of) transportation,’” Vega said.
The driver, who hasn’t been identified, was cited for careless driving. Police don’t expect to file criminal charges.