MURFREESBORO, Tennessee — A woman is dead after what authorities are calling a “freak accident” in the parking lot of a Longhorn Steakhouse.
[DOWNLOAD: Free WHIO-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]
The Murfreesboro Police Department in Tennessee responded to a Longhorn Steakhouse around 2:58 p.m. on Dec. 23 2024 on reports of a crash in the parking lot.
TRENDING STORIES:
- Winter Storm Warning issued for most of region; Advisory issued for remainder
- Medics dispatched to cold exposure call in Metroparks
- Police looking for woman suspected of stealing over $100 worth of merchandise from Walmart
According to a Facebook post from the department, the crash involved a Honda CRV that had been modified for use as a mail carrier vehicle with an accelerator and brake pedal installed on the passenger side.
The preliminary investigation showed that a woman in the driver’s seat had initially reversed out of a parking space to allow a man in a wheelchair to enter the vehicle.
The man, who had recently suffered a stroke and had no feeling on his left side, was assisted into the SUV by another woman, according to the post.
As the man was getting into the SUV, his foot accidentally pressed the accelerator pedal, causing the vehicle to reverse and spin out of control.
The SUV then struck a parked vehicle, pinning the woman who was standing outside between the two vehicles,
The out-of-control SUV continued to reverse, crashing into two additional parked vehicles before coming to a stop, according to the post.
The woman was taken to an area hospital in critical condition. The other woman and the man were not hurt.
In an update on Dec. 31, the police department confirmed the woman, identified as 61-year-old Cathy Pendergrass of Warrenton, Virginia had died from her injuries on Dec. 28.
The crash remains under investigation by the Murfreesboro Police Department Fatal Accident Crash Team (FACT).
[SIGN UP: WHIO-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
©2025 Cox Media Group
