CLEVELAND — A 74-year-old woman mistook the gas pedal for the brake and drove onto a crowded dance floor at an outdoor concert near Cleveland on Sunday night, police said.
Eight people were injured, including two seriously, Parma Heights police Sgt. Steve Scharschmidt told CNN.
One elderly woman suffered a brain injury and spinal fracture, Scharschmidt said, and a second victim is in serious condition with compound fractures. Three people received treatment and have already been released from the hospital, and three others were treated for minor injuries at the scene, Scharschmidt said.
The driver told police she was attempting to leave a “Frank & Dean” community concert featuring music of the “Rat Pack” around 7 p.m. when she mistakenly drove onto the dance floor set up in the parking lot of a park in Parma Heights, a suburb west of Cleveland.
She indicated to Scharschmidt that another driver was eyeing the parking space she was vacating, and her vehicle was angled toward the dance floor.
Parma Heights police sent a crash team to investigate. Scharschmidt told CNN that the woman may face charges, including vehicular assault.
Scharschmidt said all of the victims were in their 60s or 70s.
The driver was also treated for minor injuries at the scene and released. “She’s pretty shaken up,” Scharschmidt said.
