Tesco car park chaos after elderly driver mistakenly presses wrong pedal in car
The 76-year-old driver was handed a fine and a ban in court this week
North Norfolk District Council/Google
A "reckless" elderly motorist who "threw a pedestrian 10 feet" into the air in a Tesco car park has been banned from driving for a year.
Eric Tan, a 76-year-old retired nurse, had put his foot down on the accelerator pedal by mistake - but despite smashing into several vehicles, will not have to take a re-test.
The pedestrian, also in his 70s, had been standing in the path of Tan's Mercedes when the driver lost control, and was left with broken ribs and spinal injuries after the crash.
The car park chaos happened at a Tesco Extra in Sprowston on the outskirts of Norwich in September 2023, an account of which was presented to Norwich Magistrates' Court, where Tan appeared, this week.
Tan appeared at Norwich Magistrates' Court this week
North Norfolk District Council
Sarah Fiddy, prosecuting, said: "Witnesses described the car turning right at quite some speed and hitting the man with such force that it threw him 10 feet.
"His engine was heard revving before he lost control, hitting bollards before driving into the adjacent parking lane and crashing into other parked cars."
Fiddy added that the 76-year-old had told police his shoe had become lodged under his car's pedals after mistakenly pressing the accelerator.
But Ryan Creek, mitigating, stressed that Tan was "going about his everyday business" rather than driving around the city recklessly.
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The crash took place at a Tesco Extra in the outskirts of Norwich
Creek said: “He appears to have mistakenly pressed both pedals and believes he put more pressure on the accelerator causing his car to shoot forward.
"Unfortunately the complainant was in front of his car at the time.
"He really doesn't know why this happened. He is not someone who was driving around the city in a reckless manner - he was going about his everyday business."
"He was also wearing slip-on shoes that may have slid under the pedals as it shot forward, preventing him from stopping."
In court, Tan pleaded guilty to a charge of causing serious injury by careless driving.
Magistrates ruled that the retiree should pay £1,125 worth of costs and fines, and barred him from driving for 12 months.
But they turned down ordering the 76-year-old to resit a driving test.
The victim is expected to make a full recovery.
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