> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.smdp.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Senior citizen crashes truck through store - URL: https://www.smdp.com/senior-citizen-crashes-truck-through-store/ - Published: 2004-12-22T16:00:00.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-23T05:49:52.000Z - Author: Carolyn Sackariason - Tags: Business, Santa Monica, #archive-import *He attempts to move vehicle from passenger seat and loses control* 14th STREET — An elderly man crashed a Dodge Ram pick-up truck through a bustling Fisher Lumber Tuesday. No one was injured. The 84-year-old driver, whose identity is not being released, apparently hit the gas pedal instead of the brake at about 8:40 a.m. The truck sped through Fisher Lumber about 50 feet before coming to a stop in an aisle. Tire tracks, which appeared to be acceleration marks on the floor, were visible from the entrance door to where the truck stopped. “I swear when it happened, I thought it was a car bomb. It was that loud,” said Clay Miller, a customer who was in the store when the truck came crashing through the front door. Miller, who lives in Long Beach, was about 1 1/2 feet away from the truck when it entered the store. Despite that debris, glass and a display case fell on Miller, he wasn’t injured. “That’s the closest I have ever come (to death) and I hope it’s the closest I ever come,” Miller said, adding the truck drove through a busy part of the store where customers normally are checking out. “That truck should have hit somebody.” The owner of the vehicle, the driver’s son-in-law, was inside Fisher Lumber shopping and the elderly man was waiting for him in the passenger side of the truck, which was parked in a space directly in front of the store. Several employees had told the elderly man that the truck was illegally parked and was blocking the entrance. He apparently attempted to maneuver the truck from the passenger seat, extending his leg to the gas pedal and his arm toward the steering wheel. The truck plowed through display cases and counters. Debris eventually stopped the truck and the owner pulled his father-in-law out of the vehicle. For about an hour after the incident, the driver sat next to the store’s entrance. He was questioned by police and let go. He was seen walking away with the aid of a walker. The scene was reminiscent of the July 2003 Farmers’ Market accident when 87-year-old Russell Weller hit the gas pedal instead of the brake and drove through the outdoor market, killing 10 and injuring 63. Tuesday’s incident conjured up memories of that fatal day and the debate about whether elderly drivers should be tested more rigorously by the Department of Motor Vehicles. The driver of truck, who has an Oklahoma driver’s license, missed several employees and customers by a few inches. Dozens of people were in the store, particularly where the truck sped through — the customer service area and the cashier stand. “It could have easily been that Farmers’ Market deal,” said Fisher Lumber manager Erik Jorgensborg. “Morning is our busiest time. I can’t believe no one got hurt.” The Santa Monica Police Department has contacted the Oklahoma Department of Motor Vehicles and has requested it retest the man’s driving abilities. Santa Monica resident Kurt Heim, 27, said common sense should prevail in deciding whether a person is fit to drive a motor vehicle. “If you use a walker you shouldn’t be behind the wheel of anything,” he said. Fisher Lumber employees were visibly shaken up Tuesday morning. Dozens of workers watched from the parking lot as police investigated the scene and the clean-up began. The store was closed and employees were given the rest of the day off. Fisher Lumber was expected to reopen today. The company directed employees to a 24-hour counseling hot-line if they needed further assistance. Debris strewn throughout the store had to be picked up and thousands of pieces of glass that shattered from the entrance doors had to be swept up before the truck could be removed. The truck was towed away. About a dozen employees volunteered to clean up the mess, which took about six hours. Jorgensborg estimated the damage at close to $10,000\. The automatic doors cost $8,000 to replace, and lost merchandise accounts for about $1,000. Santa Monica City Hall purchased the Fisher Lumber property last month for $18.5 million. However, the incident won’t be treated as a city-related accident since Weyerhaeuser Company, which owns Fisher Lumber, is a leasee and is responsible for the operations of the property, said Tom Phillips, City Hall’s risk manager. Fisher Lumber will close permanently at the end of March. The property will most likely be used to expand Memorial Park, which is located directly south of Fisher Lumber. The Weyerhaeuser Company decided to put the land on the market, despite that Fisher Lumber has been operating successfully in Santa Monica since 1923. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/55/9f/559f9abc-8372-4a2e-8c2d-27386da4e363/content/images/2026/10/122204-02_01.jpg) A Dodge Ram pick-up truck comes to a rest 50 feet inside of Fisher Lumber, after its driver sped through the store filled with customers and employees on Tuesday. (Photo: Carolyn Sackariason/Daily Press) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/55/9f/559f9abc-8372-4a2e-8c2d-27386da4e363/content/images/2026/10/122204-02_02.jpg) The driver of the pick-up truck that careened through Fisher Lumber is escorted away from the accident scene by two unidentified women on Tuesday morning. (Photo: Carolyn Sackariason/Daily Press) *Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on December 22, 2004.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/122204.pdf?ref=smdp.com)