8 injured after SUV drives through crowd at car auction

On behalf of Aiken and Aiken P.C. Personal Injury Attorneys posted in Premises Liability, on Monday, October 12, 2015

On Oct. 9, a runaway BMW SUV suddenly accelerated across the floor of a warehouse during an ADESA Boston vehicle auction at a Western Avenue facility in Framingham, Massachusetts. As the vehicle sped up, bystanders were running for safety, and eight of them were injured as it plowed through the crowd. Afterward, the SUV crashed through an interior cinder block wall. According to police, seven of the people suffered only minor injuries. The eighth individual, a man, was hospitalized after being dragged and pinned underneath the vehicle, but his injuries were not serious. The 78-year-old male driver, who the company contracted to drive vehicles, was uninjured. Authorities continue to review video footage of the incident and have not filed charges. Others attending the auction say that the BMW was being exhibited when it unexpectedly lurched forward, ran into several other vehicles and then crashed into the wall. One witness says that he panicked as the SUV bulldozed through everything. He added that the driver looked dazed after the incident. Another witness, who also works for ADESA, said that she saw the vehicle fly across the room, pinning a man beneath it. She ran to the man and held his head in her lap as they waited for help to arrive. A third witness said that the SUV kept going until it hit the wall, implying that the driver pressed the accelerator rather than the brake. Accidents that involve vehicles hitting people are often serious because the people do not have any way to protect themselves. The injured individuals could seek personal injury compensation from the drivers if negligence was the cause of the accidents and subsequent injuries. If the drivers were on the job at the time of the accident, their employers may be held responsible as well. Source: Boston Globe, “SUV plows into crowd at Framingham car auction, injuring 8,” Peter Schworm and Andy Rosen, Oct. 9, 2015