83-Year-Old Causes Seven-Car Crash at Red Light After Mistaking Gas for Brakes

Georgia State Patrol is seeking the arrest of an 83-year-old woman accused of causing a seven-vehicle crash after allegedly mistaking the accelerator for the brake pedal, according to information released by authorities and local media.

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The crash occurred when the driver, operating a Ford Explorer, struck several vehicles that were stopped at a red light. Investigators say the Explorer first hit a Kia Forte, a GMC Sierra, and a Honda CR-V. The impact pushed the GMC Sierra forward, causing it to collide with a Honda Civic and a Lexus IS, resulting in a chain-reaction crash involving seven vehicles in total.

Authorities say the incident caused multiple injuries, though no additional details about the victims’ conditions were released. Video of the crash has circulated publicly, drawing widespread attention to the severity of the collision and the circumstances surrounding it.

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According to the Georgia State Patrol, a warrant has been issued for the driver’s arrest. The woman, who has not been publicly identified, is facing several charges, including serious injury by vehicle, reckless driving, following too closely, and speeding. Investigators allege the Explorer was traveling at 95 miles per hour in a 35-mile-per-hour zone at the time of the crash.

Troopers said the driver told investigators she believed she was pressing the brake pedal but instead applied the accelerator, a mistake that led to the high-speed impact with the stopped vehicles.

The incident has renewed public discussion about road safety and driver fitness, particularly among elderly motorists. The Ford Explorer, one of the most widely sold sport utility vehicles in the United States, is driven by people of all ages, making incidents like this especially visible and concerning to the public.

While no policy changes have been announced, crashes involving pedal confusion and advanced age have prompted renewed calls from some members of the public for age-based driving evaluations. Supporters argue that reaction time, decision-making ability, and physical limitations can change with age and may affect driving safety.

For now, the case remains under investigation as authorities move forward with the arrest process and review the circumstances that led to the crash.