87-year-old mistakenly hits gas pedal, runs down 86-year-old sister, Florida cops say

An 86-year-old Florida woman died in a freakish traffic mishap at her mailbox and it was her 87-year-old sister driving the car, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.

Identities of the two sisters have not been released.

The crash happened around 4:30 p.m. Monday, May 6, in a Port Richey residential neighborhood, about a 40-mile drive northwest of Tampa.

“A Mercury sedan, driven by a 87-year-old Port Richey woman, was backing out of a private driveway ... after dropping off her 86-year-old sister,” the highway patrol reports

“The (86-year-old) sister walked to the mailbox to check for mail as the driver was reversing out of the driveway. After exiting the driveway, the driver changed gears to travel forward, then accidentally depressing the gas pedal.”

The car veered toward the mailbox, striking her sister and continuing into a tree, officials said. It came to a stop only after colliding with a Toyota Venza parked at the home of the next-door neighbor on Elm Leaf Court, officials said.

Investigators say the 86-year-old woman died at the scene.

Details of an investigation were not released.

This story was originally published May 7, 2024 at 7:20 AM with the headline "87-year-old mistakenly hits gas pedal, runs down 86-year-old sister, Florida cops say."