Woman presses wrong pedal and collides with food truck, killing a man, CA police say

A California woman accidentally pressed the wrong pedal while trying to park her car, which collided with a food truck and resulted in the death of a pedestrian, police said.

On Sunday, a woman was trying to park her car and accidentally hit the accelerator pedal instead of the brake, driving into a man and a food truck, San Jose police said in a news release. Police said the man was taken to a hospital “with life-threatening injuries” and died early Monday.

Police said the woman stayed on the scene and cooperated with authorities. The man’s identity is being withheld until next of kin is notified, according to police.

Fatima Soria said she was with her family when the woman hit the food truck, The Mercury News reported.

“I heard it, I turned and it was too late, all I saw was the cart coming at me, and I got thrown to the wall,” Soria said, according to the publication. “I thought it was the cart exploding, it just came at me. There was a second cart attached to food cart, that (also) hit me.”

Soria said she and her family were taken to a hospital but weren’t injured seriously.

The crash marks the 38th fatal car accident for the year and the 39th person who has died, police said.

Earlier that same day, a man accidentally drove into an outdoor dining space when trying to park at the Grand Century Plaza, San Jose police said, according to CBS San Francisco. The man drove into the outdoor area of the Dynasty Chinese restaurant, resulting in eight people being sent to the hospital, two with “life-threatening injuries,” police said.

“Indications are the elderly male may have been in medical distress prior to the collision,” San Jose police said in a tweet.

A woman who was struck by the car has died, San Jose police confirmed on Tuesday, KTVU reported.

This story was originally published October 12, 2020 at 2:11 PM with the headline "Woman presses wrong pedal and collides with food truck, killing a man, CA police say."