An SUV is seen approaching a library to park near the entrance. We see the SUV as it turns off of the street and moves through the parking lot. Unfortunately, the drive aisle is pointed directly at the library entrance and there are no barriers to prevent an incursion by an oncoming vehicle. As we see from the several different camera angles, the SUV accelerates instead of slowing down; several pedestrians are nearly struck; and in a split second the vehicle is several car lengths into the library and comes to rest on top of debris and patrons.
Several injuries -- fortunately all of the injured are recovering.
Thank to Westchester News 12 for great coverage. See the video HERE.
By all appearances, this seems like a case of pedal error. Although sudden acceleration has not been ruled out, there have been no reports of mechanical issues. The 58 year-old driver claims that there was some sort of mechanical failure; this is not indicated from the video. The SUV clearly accelerates, and comes to a stop only because of the debris (and people) piled in front of it after crashing through the entry and the circulation desk.
Now for the irony: the designers of the building did think that bollards would be a good idea to place at the library entrance; unfortunately, they thought two of them were sufficient and those two were placed so widely apart that the SUV had no trouble passing right between them......they look more like goal posts than barriers in the photo below. With a nice easy access ramp to the glass doors making it even easier.
Several injuries -- fortunately all of the injured are recovering.
Thank to Westchester News 12 for great coverage. See the video HERE.
By all appearances, this seems like a case of pedal error. Although sudden acceleration has not been ruled out, there have been no reports of mechanical issues. The 58 year-old driver claims that there was some sort of mechanical failure; this is not indicated from the video. The SUV clearly accelerates, and comes to a stop only because of the debris (and people) piled in front of it after crashing through the entry and the circulation desk.
Now for the irony: the designers of the building did think that bollards would be a good idea to place at the library entrance; unfortunately, they thought two of them were sufficient and those two were placed so widely apart that the SUV had no trouble passing right between them......they look more like goal posts than barriers in the photo below. With a nice easy access ramp to the glass doors making it even easier.
Poor design execution. Failure to see an obvious hazard and failure to take simple and inexpensive steps to prevent a predictable and foreseeable incident. Once again, young lives have been altered and bodies injured because of a common accident with a common cause, and because designers and builders and a municipality have failed to follow a simple standard of care to protect library patrons and employees.
It didn't have to be this way....
It didn't have to be this way....
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