Crash at ice cream shop kills one, injures six

Ice cream shops are supposed to be places of family fun and enjoyment. They are popular with kids of all ages and hold a special place with ice cream lovers. It is this expectation that makes an accident in Orange County all the more troubling and tragic. An SUV plowed into a Farrell’s Ice Cream Parlour in Buena Park, about 20 miles southwest of Los Angeles.

According to an ABC News report, the SUV, a Suzuki XL7, lurched forward from its parking space in front of the ice cream shop and crashed through a small fence and hit several people standing and sitting in front of the restaurant. Five people were hospitalized and one person was killed in the crash. The CEO of Farrell’s described the driver, an elderly man, as being “bewildered” with what had just happened. While the crash is still under investigation, it could be that he mistook the brake pedal for the accelerator and may not have known that the car was in drive, instead of reverse, before the accident occurred.

While he has not been charged with a crime, the driver may face civil liability. The people injured in the crash may be eligible to seek compensation for their injuries, including medical expenses, lost wages and medical expenses stemming from the crash. Also, the family members of the woman killed in the crash may pursue a wrongful death lawsuit, which seeks compensation for loss of companionship, lost future wages, and emotional distress suffered by loved ones as a result of the loss.

Source:ABC News.com “SUV rams people at ice cream shop; 1 dead, 6 hurt,” AP News, April 27, 2014