Source: The Orange County Register

SANTA ANA, California – A Donut Star employee and a customer suffered minor injuries after a man accidentally drove into the doughnut shop at 2509 S. Harbor Boulevard  late Sunday afternoon, the Santa Ana Police Department told news reporters.

The Donut Star shop was struck by the driver about 5:30 p.m., according to the news report. The driver, who police described as a man in his 60s, may have mistaken the accelerator for the brake, police said.  He told police he was having difficulty placing the vehicle in park at the time of the crash.

Neither the driver, nor his elderly female passenger, were injured in the car accident and the two injured bystanders were treated for their injuries at the scene of the car crash.

Pedal Misapplication or Sudden Acceleration

Source: National Highway Transportation and Safety Association press release

Drivers sometimes make errors such as stepping on the gas pedal instead of the brake pedal causing them to crash into buildings at times if they are parked, car accident law firms report. The mistake can take place for many reasons including mechanical errors, driver alertness, positioning of the pedals, the driver’s body size or sometimes even the driver’s age.

The National Highway Transportation Safety Association (NHTSA) and NASA engineers recently concluded a 10-month investigation into sudden acceleration accidents to determine if mechanical failure or “pedal misapplication” were the cause of numerous crashes that have resulted in litigation against car manufacturers.

The results showed that most of the cases of accidental acceleration were the result of the driver stepping on the gas instead of the brake. Other causes of the sudden acceleration were blamed on floor mats that came loose and jammed the gas pedal or accelerator pedals that became stuck. Results of the study have led to the NHTSA working to create new safety standards for automobile manufacturers to avoid future problems.

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The Seegmiller Law Firm can be reached at 1-855-ASK–WEST.  For over 30 years, the firm has been a staunch advocate for victims’ rights and has fought for clients involved in personal injury and wrongful death cases, including premises liability, product liability, auto accidents, dog bites, nursing home negligence, medical malpractice, at-work injuries and more.  The firm has offices in Irvine, Riverside, Los Angeles and San Bernardino, California, and Las Vegas, Nevada.