I am reading all of this and I'm so sick!!! I'm sure no one is going to read this because it's now almost two months later. I know that woman that was driving the SUV.
1st of all she does not have fat feet
2nd of all she was not driving fast
3rd of all how dare you sit there and accuse her of this stuff.
Her family is grieving just as much as the family involved and is feeling very guilty. My prayers go out to everyone involved and to you that wrote those things about someone you didn't even know and about a situation, a tragic situation you don't even know about. Before you start saying stuff, you might want to stop and think about who might be reading this and get your story straight before saying anything. Some people in this world just make me sick!!!

This is a reminder to all of us, the shopping season will be in full force soon. Slow down in parking lots and watch for people a little better. They do have the right of way,even if some take advantage. Make your shopping season safe!

If your accelerator peddle, ever appears stuck, simply reach over and turn the key off. Preferably sometime before running over the folks walking in the parking lot.

How tragic for everyone!
As for 'some' of the reader comments......think before you comment, and try to be kinder and gentler.

From what I understand the car that lost control was driving down the road. I am familiar with this area and the mall parking lot is right next to a diveded road like Milton avenue here in Janesville. The suv hit a parked car and that parked car was pushed into the victims car as they were getting out of it. The dead victim was pinned under a car.

I didn't put the blame on ANYONE because I wasn't there. That was my whole point. You weren't there. You weren't driving the SUV. You have no idea if her accelerator became stuck, or even how the scene looked. All you have is a few sentences in the Janesville Gazette. Yet that doesn't stop you from calling her stupid and prosecuting her for what may very well be an honest to God ACCIDENT. If it was a mechanical malfunction, she won't be prosecuted. You know why? Because accidents happen. And unfortunately, sometimes they end in tragedy. Forget it. You've already convicted her, regardless of facts. Why do we even bother with a legal system?? So much for innocent before proven guilty. Let's just point the finger and lay the blame. The Gazette bloggers have spoken! I hope those of you who are so quick to judge don't find yourself in this woman's situation someday. Remember, what goes around comes around.

Did you know that the first person hit by a car and killed, the car was only going 7 mph?

Spunk Meyer-

1st off Lorne is right- The speed limit in a parking lot is only 15 mph. Now because this is considered private property, it may not have any charges brought relating to traffic- if it does, you can rest assurred that even if it was an accident, she will be tried for unintentional manslaughter by use of a motor vehicle and causing great bodily harm by use of a m.v.

On the other hand, no matter what, you are missing two things here altogether..Regardless of her guilt in the incident, a woman was killed and a child was badly injured. Going 15 mph, hitting vehicles along the way would have seriously slowed this vehicle down. She wasnt driving a darn Military tank for pete sake.

It could be a mechanical issue, or it could be a driver issue. It doesn't matter when it comes to life of another person. You sign an implied consent when you are given your DL and that makes her responsible for the accident and guilty no matter what. Unintentional, yes...Accident?...I sure hope so...Her fault?? It certainly aint anyone elses!

Stick to your guns Lorne..U got it right...

spunkmeyer- yes I have been in an accident on a road where the speed limit is well above that in a mall parking lot. I was able to brace for the impact thus knowing I was going to be in an accident. I highly doubt that this woman's gas pedal stuck. A safe driving speed in any parking lot esp. a mall is 15 mph. At the time that someone's "gas pedal" gets stuck a resonable person would conclude to brake, put vehicle in neutral or shut engine off. If the woman doesn't know how to put the transmission in neutral she shouldn't be driving. If you read the article it says "hit several vehicles" that should have been enough time for the driver to react. Try her for Vehicular Manslaughter. When anyone gets behind a wheel you should be able to react and respond to ANY changes in conditions with the way the vehicle handles to the surface the vehicle is driving on. Negligent Vehicular Homicide is what this woman is GUILTY of. I drive professionally. Everytime I get behind the wheel of my personal vehcile or company vehicle I make damn sure that lights, horns, and other safty equipment is working properly. It is no one elses fault except her own. I can't stand these people who put the blame on someone else.

I have been in a few accidents. Only one with me driving. It is very hard to think and react. You know its gonna happen and there is no way to stop it. Depending on how fast she was going and how far away the people were from her even throwing it in neutral wouldn't have helped. I sometimes forget I have a horn. It's not my first reaction to hit it when something bad is gonna happen or someone gets too close. After the 'close call' I think to myself why didn't I hit the horn. I'm sure this woman is having all kinds of 'what ifs' and 'I should haves.'

lorne - Just curious. Have you ever been in a car accident? And if so, were you able to think clearly in the midst of it? So quick to judge. And so quick to throw around insults. Maybe the driver didn't know about throwing it in neutral. Or maybe it happened so fast she didn't act quick enough. But of course that's not the case, right? Like I said, the judge and jury of the gazette blog has spoken.

Whatever happened to putting the vehicle in N (for Neutral). Two things would happen. If it's a newer vechile it would have a rev limiter so the engine wouldn't blow up. Or, if it's an older vehicle you could replace the engine for under $1000. Hmmm sure beats the price of killing someone. I sure can fix alot of things, however I can't fix STUPID.

JAYT~I was thinking the same thing. But then I thought about it and sometimes when my mom and I go to the mall she likes to push my daughter around. Sometimes I'm not right next to them, so maybe that is what happened.
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As for the rest of the 'gazette jury' you should be ashamed of yourselves. You have no idea if that accelerater stuck or not. You just automatically assume she is one of the idoits in a mall parking lot. Maybe she is maybe she isn't. But either way, her SUV killed someone and could have killed two small children also. I'm sure this woman is going through enough emotionally and mentally in her own head, she doesn't need the 'gazette jury' making her feel worse. I understand you are entitled to your opinion as am I. But if this woman was reading this and it really was an accident. You just made her feel even worse with all your rude comments.

just another person in a big rush to get to the mall,So sad a person had to get killed over it.

The judge and jury of the gazette blog has spoken. Let's just forget that pesky SUV mechanical inspection. The driver is definitely guilty before proven guilty.
My prayers go out to everybody involved.

Here we go again. Been a while since those SUV's were killing people. Used to be they were blaming those darn SUV's for everything. I feel bad for the SUV's. They can't get a break. Sounds like profiling to me.

The first paragraph suggests that the SUV went out of control on its own. Those pesky SUV's are always out of control. It should have read that the driver was out of control.

More than likely she was flying around the parking lot. Seriously doubt the accelerator stuck. People just drive like a-holes in parking lots. They dont care that people and CHILDREN are walking.

Seen one of these mental midgets last sunday at Farm & Fleet. Silver Ford Ranger with one of the US Navy plates went zipping through the lot between parked cars and cutting across aisles around 30-35mph. Sure hope that bag of whatever you bought was worth risking peoples lives for.

Tbe most common cause of "sudden acceleration incidents", the NHTSA believes, is "pedal misapplication". In most vehicles a full application of the brakes should be more than sufficient to overcome full acceleration of the engine.

"My accelerator stuck." Hmmm...

Yikes. How awful.

Wow, how terrible. My condolences to the families involved. As for the driver, I do hope what she claims is the truth, for her sake. If it turns out she was just negligent, then its all the more sad because of how easily it could have been prevented.