Wheelchair Bound Elderly Man Causes Car Accident, Rides into Traffic
In Pittsburgh, PA, an elderly man in a motorized wheelchair reportedly rode into downtown Pittsburgh traffic and caused a three-vehicle accident July 12th. The accident occurred in a domino effect as the first two vehicles stopped just in time to prevent from striking the elderly man but the third vehicle was unable to stop and collided with the second vehicle, which resulted in a collision with the first vehicle.
The elderly man had reportedly left Mercy Hospital and when he was questioned by police, he stated he did not know where he was going. Neither the drivers nor the elderly man were injured in the accident. The elderly man was taken back to Mercy Hospital after the accident. Police were unsure whether the man left without permission or if the hospital had released him.
The elderly man in this incident could have been severely injured as a result of this accident. Fortunately the driver in the first vehicle was able to stop in time to keep from hitting the elderly man. Police believe the elderly man may suffer from dementia, which would explain why he did not know where he was going when he left the hospital. Regardless whether the man was released from the hospital or not the hospital staff could be held accountable for the accident because they should have been monitoring him upon his departure from the hospital. This is especially true if the police department’s suspicion that the man suffered from dementia is true.
When a person suffers from dementia, their memory, judgment, behavior and language could be affected. The severity of these symptoms varies depending on the specific disease that causes dementia. There are a number of diseases including Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, and several infections. Although dementia may be reversible, some cases may not be. Dementia is a very debilitating disease and the elderly man in this incident could have been severely injured if the drivers were unable to stop in time from hitting him. Since the man had no idea what he was doing or where he was going, he could have gotten into a situation where he would be severely injured. The hospital should have monitored his actions to prevent this type of incident from occurring.
