Not how you'd expect her to die

[wolfie]

Posting here rather than "Check It Out" on CS because discussion of the circumstances of her death could easily fall into Fratching territory.

A 101 year old woman in St. Paul MN died last Friday. While she was crossing the street, a police car backed into Roza Sakhina. When someone that old dies, you don't expect the cause of death to be "some fool didn't watch where he was going".

[s_stabeler]

wow... Not to mention, the police officer wasn't heading out on another call, so he could have taken his time pulling out. What an idiot. (May I suggest he be asked to take remedial driving lessons, focused on how you reverse?)

[daleduke17]

wow... Not to mention, the police officer wasn't heading out on another call, so he could have taken his time pulling out. What an idiot. (May I suggest he be asked to take remedial driving lessons, focused on how you reverse?)

There's no need to call the officer an idiot. The lady was at most 5' tall and the officer was in an SUV... with all of the crap in a squad car (probably even the SUV versions as well) it is quite difficult to see, especially behind. Should the officer taken more precautions? Yes. However, this could be viewed as, well, an accident.

[s_stabeler]

Um, my driving instructor always emphasized knowing what's around you when pulling away, so YES, even IF it's difficult to see, I can blame the officer. Was it an accident? probably. It still shows that the police officer was careless in not checking properly what was around him when he was reversing. ( If he was heading out on a call, I would agree that it's more forgivable) Hence why I suggested remedial lessons- I'm NOT suggesting he be sacked.

[Gravekeeper]

The officer was backing up the squad car when it “either nudged or bumped” Sakhina, Paulos said.

Finkelshteyn said his grandmother suffered a skull fracture, rib fracture, internal bleeding and “quite a bit of bruising.”

Nudged or bumped. Right. The elderly aren't THAT fragile. >.>

[HYHYBT]

Nudged or bumped. Right. The elderly aren't THAT fragile. >.>

Some are. More to the point, nudging or bumping can cause a fall, and *hitting the ground* can cause that sort of injury, depending on how you land and in what condition you started. Thin skin and osteoporosis, both common in people of that age, plus a normal fall that includes hitting the head could do it easily.

[daleduke17]

Um, my driving instructor always emphasized knowing what's around you when pulling away, so YES, even IF it's difficult to see, I can blame the officer. Was it an accident? probably. It still shows that the police officer was careless in not checking properly what was around him when he was reversing. ( If he was heading out on a call, I would agree that it's more forgivable) Hence why I suggested remedial lessons- I'm NOT suggesting he be sacked.

So did my driving instructor. I am going to defend the officer for a bit. The lady was crossing the street which she normally does not cross. Could she have been confused and just wandered into the road without seeing the cop? Could she have walked out in his blind spot while he was checking the other mirror?

Plus, with it being a "bump or nudge" he wasn't going that fast, so it does sound like he was taking precautions while backing up.

[Andara Bledin]

Some are. More to the point, nudging or bumping can cause a fall, and *hitting the ground* can cause that sort of injury, depending on how you land and in what condition you started.

It's worth nothing that if you're unfortunate, falling over backwards in your chair can kill you if you land wrong. And that's if you're healthy.

Also worth noting: Many old people that suffer falls and broken hips fall because their hip breaks and not the other way around.

[lordlundar]

Nudged or bumped. Right. The elderly aren't THAT fragile. >.>

Perfectly healthy people have died in impacts as slow as 5 mph. A 101 year old person, regardless of how well they kept themselves is nowhere near that resilient. This scenario is entirely possible.

[Gravekeeper]

Some are. More to the point, nudging or bumping can cause a fall, and *hitting the ground* can cause that sort of injury, depending on how you land and in what condition you started. Thin skin and osteoporosis, both common in people of that age, plus a normal fall that includes hitting the head could do it easily.

Apparently she was physically and mentally healthy by all accounts, though she had a walker with her. She still went for walks for a couple hours a day. It would have to be more than just a bump or nudge. The skull fracture from the fall is definitely what got her. But the other injuries seem a little extensive for just calling over from a bump.

According to the police department this is the 5th vehicle accident this officer has been in with her patrol vehicle and the second one where she backed into something. The other three were side swipes. All but one were deemed preventable and due to the officer's inattention. She's been reprimanded a few times for her driving.

She was also crossing the street when she was hit, not walking behind the police vehicle. So I'm guessing the officer whipped the back end out pretty quick and right into the crosswalk. Given her history of inattentive driving problems I doubt she was doing it slowly and carefully. -.-

[Andara Bledin]

She was also crossing the street when she was hit, not walking behind the police vehicle. So I'm guessing the officer whipped the back end out pretty quick and right into the crosswalk. Given her history of inattentive driving problems I doubt she was doing it slowly and carefully. -.-

Note: Generally speaking, "middle of the street" also means "no crosswalk" and this case is not an exception.

Three of those incidents mentioned were over 15 years go, so I'm not sure they're particularly relevant at this point. The 4th, was from 2007, 9 years after the previous one and 6 years before this one.

Considering my own driving career, I can honestly say, I've "struck" and "brushed" more things than that in the last 5 years alone, but I'm not in a car that records every single incident. The vast majority of these have been trash bins (one of the things cops get marked for striking), but I've also bumped other vehicles (or vehicle, rather - my brother doesn't much care if I tap his car while parking out front).

Although, I do admit, that were I a police officer with every tap resulting in a reprimand, I'd be working a lot harder to go around my trash bins on Tuesday mornings.

Article at StarTribune

[Nyoibo]

I've been driving for 12 years, I've been in 3 accidents 1.5 of which were my fault and I have never hit or even "nudged" a stationary object, the fact that this is kind of a common occurence in the US bogles the mind

[Gravekeeper]

I've been driving for 12 years, I've been in 3 accidents 1.5 of which were my fault and I have never hit or even "nudged" a stationary object, the fact that this is kind of a common occurence in the US bogles the mind

Yes, I'm a tad surprised myself. I would have thought that a series of inattentive driving incidents would be considered kind of a bad driving record. Especially for a police officer.

Also, the police are saying "bumped or nudged" but witnesses seem to be saying "backed over". This also wasn't a patrol car, it was an SUV. The sort of vehicle you should be doubly careful. >.>

[Kelmon]

I've been driving for 12 years, I've been in 3 accidents 1.5 of which were my fault and I have never hit or even "nudged" a stationary object, the fact that this is kind of a common occurence in the US bogles the mind

Same here. Driving for 15 years, not so much as a scratch on any of my cars (at least not caused by me). And I don't know anybody who would just "wing it" when he or she can't see what's in the path of the car.
Maybe it helps that in my country, your car is mandatorily checked bi-annually, and if it fails inspection (which is quite strict), you're no longer allowed to drive it, until (professionally) repaired.


Your view is so obstructed that you can't see anything? Not even with mirrors? Then open the door, go out, and check! Unless the old woman was jaywalking, this death seems to be 100% on the police officer.

[Andara Bledin]

Unless the old woman was jaywalking, this death seems to be 100% on the police officer.

As I mentioned just a few comments up, this woman was jaywalking.

Regardless, that's no excuse for anyone to hit her, no matter how fast or slow, and especially not police.

As for vehicle checks: If your car isn't an obvious and glaring menace - and often times even when it is - you can keep on driving so long as the cops don't spot you. I don't know about other states, but here in California, other than the smog check (which includes a few other things like horn and wipers, I think), there are no vehicle checks at all.