What Passes For Excitement These Days

I happened to see this lil event Tuesday morning on my way to the dentist's office.  From the Portales News-Tribune:

Police say an 88-year-old Portales woman was taken to Roosevelt General Hospital for observation Monday after her runaway car crashed into the state Motor Vehicle Division building and continued across several lanes of traffic.

Around 10 a.m., Minnie Fulton, 88, left the New Mexico Motor Vehicle Department on Avenue O, and her 2003 Ford Taurus possibly malfunctioned, Deputy Chief of Police Lonnie Berry said.

“It could be a malfunction with the vehicle, or it could be something that she caused, but it is not known at this time,” Berry said.

Fulton’s car brushed the motor vehicle building, Berry said.

“It was really minor damage to the building and her vehicle,” Berry said.

Berry said Fulton, still accelerating, went through the parking lot between the Bird’s Nest Sandwich Shop and Classic American Economy Inn and crossed one lane of U.S. 70, striking the median.

Her vehicle became airborne when crossing the other lane of U.S. 70 and hit the curb, stopping between U.S. 70 and the railroad track, said Berry.

If I would have been about a minute earlier the woman would have tee-boned me, as this happened about 300 yards in front of my car.  I looked on in amazement as the woman's car came blasting out of the parking lot at about 60 mph, crossed two lanes of traffic, struck the median (getting airborne in the process), continued across the highway and into the field before it came to rest after striking the railroad track embankment.  

I feel bad now that I know it was an 88-year old woman inside the car.  No one else stopped, either... and I was one of three vehicles that witnessed the event.  But... one never knows.  This easily could have been a car-jacking gone bad. 

I did manage to entertain Dr. Thompson's waiting room and staff with the description of what I witnessed, however.  It seems everyone in P-Ville needs a lil excitement once in a while.