Dave_Schuldt Posted October 27, 2005 Posted October 27, 2005 My parents live in FT Lauderdale (God only knows why) and they send me interesting tidbits about life in the sunshine state. This is one of the beter ones. Driver, 93, rolls through St. Petersburg tollbooth with body embedded in windshield -------------------- Associated Press October 21, 2005, 6:24 AM EDT ST. PETERSBURG -- A 93-year-old driver apparently suffering from dementia fatally struck a pedestrian, then continued driving through a toll booth with the man's body on his windshield, police said. Ralph Parker of Pinellas Park drove for 3 miles Wednesday night after striking the 52-year-old pedestrian with his gold 2002 Chevrolet Malibu, severing the man's right leg, police said. A toll taker on the Sunshine Skyway saw the body stuck through Parker's windshield and notified police, Traffic Homicide Investigator Michael Jockers said. Authorities did not identify the pedestrian. Parker was hospitalized overnight with minor scrapes, and was expected to be taken to an elder care facility, Jockers said. Charges were not likely to be filed, because Parker did not appear to know what had happened, where he was nor the correct date, said Bruce Bartlett, chief assistant in the Pinellas-Pasco County State Attorney's Office. ``He may have somewhere in his mind have realized it was a crash, but immediately forgot about it,'' Jockers said. Police took Parker's license, which he renewed in 2003. ``That was the one thing he had, to get in his car and just drive for the sheer enjoyment of driving,'' Jockers said. Parker lived alone after his wife died in 1998, according to authorities. A spokesman for the state Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles said the agency would conduct its own inquiry into whether Parker, who otherwise had a clean driving record, should have had a license. Seniors age 80 or older must pass only a vision test when renewing a Florida driver's license. While I was down there a few weeks ago a python eating a house cat was considered news. Quote
Chriznitch Posted October 27, 2005 Posted October 27, 2005 I can believe it! A family member of mine was run over on his bike last year by an old lady in western FL. She didn't even see him but her family ended up putting together enough of a case that they determined the accident 50% at-fault for each!! Quote
catbirdseat Posted October 27, 2005 Posted October 27, 2005 I'll take my odds with climbing. At least if I die climbing, chances are it will have been my own damn fault, or possibly my partner's fault. The thing I hate about riding bicycles on the street is time and again handing responsibility for my life to countless other people I don't even know. Quote
EWolfe Posted October 27, 2005 Posted October 27, 2005 Hasn't there been a bit of weather down there? I vaguely remember something about that.... Quote
snugtop Posted October 27, 2005 Posted October 27, 2005 They have the largest cockroaches I've ever seen in Florida... Which reminds me of another reason it's great to live in the northwest--(almost) no cockroaches. The only ones I've ever seen in the 8 years I've been here were at the 5-Point diner in Belltown -- a whole caravan of them traversing the banquette I was sitting on. Quote
Alpinfox Posted October 27, 2005 Posted October 27, 2005 .... The only ones I've ever seen in the 8 years I've been here were at the 5-Point diner in Belltown -- a whole caravan of them traversing the banquette I was sitting on. For other stupid people such as myself. "Banquette" Quote
EWolfe Posted October 27, 2005 Posted October 27, 2005 They have the largest cockroaches I've ever seen in Florida... Which reminds me of another reason it's great to live in the northwest--(almost) no cockroaches. The only ones I've ever seen in the 8 years I've been here were at the 5-Point diner in Belltown -- a whole caravan of them traversing the banquette I was sitting on. I saw a few GIANT cockroaches at the reptile zoo in Monroe. It was the only display that made my skin crawl. Quote
selkirk Posted October 27, 2005 Posted October 27, 2005 In southern Idaho, they actually used to renew people licenses by mail. Which seems like a good idea. Of course they also renewed my great-grandfathers drivers liscense by mail when he 96 (might have been 98?), could only see out of one eye and was deaf as a doornail. Quote
olyclimber Posted October 27, 2005 Posted October 27, 2005 Well, if he can see well enough to open his mail, he should be able to drive. Quote
Kitergal Posted October 27, 2005 Posted October 27, 2005 .... The only ones I've ever seen in the 8 years I've been here were at the 5-Point diner in Belltown -- a whole caravan of them traversing the banquette I was sitting on. For other stupid people such as myself. "Banquette" Thanks K! I was totally confused! Thinking...wait..isn't that something you eat?? Quote
klenke Posted October 27, 2005 Posted October 27, 2005 The last time I saw a giant cockroach was when one my ex-girlfriends walked out the door for the last time. Happy birthday, Dave. Quote
Kitergal Posted October 27, 2005 Posted October 27, 2005 either your calling your ex a cockroach....or your saying your apt. is infested with cockroaches and it's ruining your love life..... Quote
archenemy Posted October 27, 2005 Posted October 27, 2005 I think this would be a great halloween costume--actually, it would work for two. One old codger and one dead ped. Quote
archenemy Posted October 27, 2005 Posted October 27, 2005 You down? Wanna be the driver or the driven over? Quote
minx Posted October 27, 2005 Posted October 27, 2005 A spokesman for the state Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles said the agency would conduct its own inquiry into whether Parker, who otherwise had a clean driving record, should have had a license. this requires an iquiry? isn't it a given that you lose your license if you drive for 3 miles with a dead person on your car? i'm pretty sure that's on the test. Quote
archenemy Posted October 27, 2005 Posted October 27, 2005 It's right under "how many beers can you drink in Yakima's Cork N Keg before you walk next door to the jail and just turn yourself in?" Quote
minx Posted October 27, 2005 Posted October 27, 2005 nice to know i can still remember driver's ed Quote
cj001f Posted October 27, 2005 Posted October 27, 2005 nice to know i can still remember driver's ed Sounds like sex ed in some parts of the country. Quote
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