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The man and his 83-year-old wife were not seriously hurt. Authorities said the driver did not recall the crash.
By JAMIE JONES, Times Staff Writer
© St. Petersburg Times, published January 15, 2003
SPRING HILL -- Carl Meves was trying to park in a handicapped space outside of the A.G. Edwards & Sons building on U.S. 19 Tuesday.
Instead, the 85-year-old slammed into the front doors of the business, sending shards of glass through the quiet lobby filled with soft chairs and seascape paintings.
The air bags in his white Mercury deployed, pinning Meves to the driver's seat. Neither he nor his wife, Lola, 83, appeared seriously injured. Deputies said Meves, who lives in Spring Hill, might have health problems. He did not recall the crash, authorities said.
An employee of the investment firm was struck by pieces of flying glass or debris. She was treated by paramedics and was not seriously injured, said Charlie Fernandez, vice president of investments.
Fernandez had just hung up the telephone when he heard a loud crash outside his office. He thought the noise came from a wreck on U.S. 19. But when he walked into the lobby, he saw Meves' car.
Deputy P.L. Flinn shook his head as he wrote a report outside of the white stucco building. Flinn has investigated two cases of elderly residents hitting buildings in the past month.
"Usually, it's a medical problem or someone's foot slips off the brake," he said.
Flinn said he did not expect to cite Meves in the accident.
On Monday, an 86-year-old woman missed a parking lot on Mariner Boulevard, drove between two homes, slammed into a cable box, took out parts of two fences, hit a shed and then crashed into the side of a house on Kerridale Avenue. No one was inside, and no one was injured in that crash.
Fernandez said he was glad no one was sitting in the lobby when Meves arrived.
"Other than scaring the heck out of us, we're all fine," he said.
-- Jamie Jones covers law enforcement and courts in Hernando County and can be reached 754-6114. Send e-mail to jjones@sptimes.com.