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Gifu cops: Elderly driver plunges into convenience store; 1 injured

A male elderly driver crashed into a convenience store while he was trying to park (NHK)
A male elderly driver crashed into a convenience store in Gifu City while he was trying to park (NHK)

GIFU (TR) – A male elderly driver crashed into a convenience store while he was trying to park, leaving a male customer injured, police said on Saturday.

The 79-year-old driver drove over the parking block and smashed into a wall of the Lawson store in Gifu City at around 2:30 p.m., NHK reports (Jan. 21).

The 43-year-old male customer was using an ATM near the wall and suffered injuries to his legs and head in the crash, police said.

Police quoted the driver as saying he was “concerned about my wife feeling unwell in the backseat when I ended up crashing.”

Elderly driver also crashed in Nagoya

Another male elderly driver also crashed into a convenience store at around 3 p.m. on Saturday in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture.

The 60-year-old smashed into the 7-Eleven store’s glass entrance doors, injuring a 22-year-old male customer near a cash register.

Police quoted the driver as saying he “was trying to park when I accidentally mistook the accelerator for the brakes.”

Police are investigating the details of both crashes.