Cars cannot fly, says a now dead Florida woman Thread

Sun-sentinel.com

FORT LAUDERDALE – A 67-year-old woman was killed after her SUV plunged through a barrier wall on the fifth floor of a public parking garage across from the main public library Friday morning, police and witnesses said.

Rescuers found a silver-colored 1998 GMC Suburban lying on its roof on the ground at Southeast First Street and First Avenue shortly around 9:15 a.m. No one on the ground was injured.

Police said only one person was in the SUV. She was identified as Ruth Goebel, a library project manager hired four years ago. Goebel, of Hollywood, was part of the team administering funds in the 1999 bond issue to build new libraries around the county.

After arriving at the accident scene, police quickly placed a blanket over the front seat driver's side window of the SUV and a yellow tarp over the passenger side window.

A gaping hole was left in the waist-high concrete wall that surrounds that floor of the seven-story parking garage. The railing atop the wall was also gone.

Investigators have a "strong belief" that Goebel was driving in reverse at the time of the accident, police spokesman Detective Clinton Ward said, because there was damage to the back of the truck. He said he could not speculate on how fast she was going at the time or if some other factor was involved.

"We don't know how she lost control," Ward said. "The car crashed on its roof, crushing the woman inside."

Investigators called in a tow truck to right the pancaked SUV and allow police and other investigators inside the Surburban, which landed next to an unoccupied van parked on the street.

Ward said investigators examined the fifth level of the parking garage in the area where Goebel's car hit the wall. They found no obvious skid marks or any other evidence that would point to the immediate cause of the crash.

The parking garage is located on the east side of First Avenue and across the street from fountains that grace an entrance into the main Broward County Library. Across First Street is a Dunkin' Donuts store and other shops.

The investigation continues.

They said there was damage to the back of her car and they think she was in reverse. I bet someone got tired of her wrinkly old ass and rammed her off the edge with their own vehicle. Stupid fogey.

Well.. if there wasn't any damage on the front it rules that theory out.

Poor lady

Mmm Dunkin' donuts

Owned.

Yeah, that was the part that grabbed most of my attention. She was probably half blind and didn't realize she was in reverse.

As horrible as it may sound, it would've been pretty cool to see that car go flying off the building.

Neurowave wrote: Well.. if there wasn't any damage on the front it rules that theory out.

Well, I think there's damage to the whole car, lol.

Well... if it landed on its top. There shouldn't be impact damage on the front.. well, not as bad anyway. It's all CSI crap!

Mr.Magnetichead wrote: Owned.

Head shot.

Aimbox h4x! That gravity was using a f'in h4x!

poor lady, well at least she died fast.

I can't beleive you guys can joke with a clear concience about a women who died! I'm most suprised at you 40.

- Edited By Wilhelm_III On Mon 12th, Jan 2004 @ 10:17:24pm

ya know its not really safe to be going fast enough to drive through a concrete wall 5 stories up...

Dang it, mmussst not agreeee with Wilhelmmmm

I think it all goes down to the fact of her age.

anotha reason y old ppl shouldnt drive

add "SUV" to the end of that line.