- December 15, 2025
The ability to drive signifies independence for the elderly, according to Granny Nannies owner.
Suddenly, a Toyota Camry exploded through the glass exit doors, pinned a man to the floor and injured 10 people near the checkout line. The scene Saturday, April 14, at the Publix on Belle Terre Parkway, was traumatic for the victims and many other shoppers who may have narrowly escaped.
And although the cause of the crash by the 76-year-old driver is still under investigation by the Florida Highway Patrol, this incident and others in recent months sparked residents to debate elderly driving in general as a public safety concern.
Scott Selis, elder care attorney with Chiumento Selis Dwyer, said proponents of restricting the elderly’s driving privileges point to analogous age limits imposed on younger drivers: Regardless of ability or comprehension, no one can drive until the age of 16. Why, then, shouldn’t there be a maximum age for drivers, as well?
“Personally, I don’t agree with that,” Selis said. “My father is almost 80 years old, and he’s extremely alert. I can’t imagine him not being able to drive. But he’s got friends with mental ailments, and they shouldn’t be able to drive becuase they don’t have the skills. I think there should be more frequent driving tests, just to make sure they have the skills and reaction times that are necessary to drive in our society.”
But for many elderly people, losing their independence could be a knockout blow, according to Joel Fallon, owner of Granny Nannies of Flagler and St. Johns counties, a service that helps the elderly with daily life tasks from bathing to providing transportation.
“It’s the very last thing they have,” Fallon said. “The car is it.”
He said family members of some of his older clients express concern that their elderly parents or grandparents are not safe on the road. In one extreme case, a family member instructed Fallon to remove the distributor to disable a vehicle and prevent the client from driving.
Currently, there are few state restrictions that specifically target elderly drivers. Courtney Heidelberg, communications director for the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, said once a driver reaches 80 years old, he must have his vision checked at least upon every renewal. For drivers age 80 and above, the renewal period is every six years. For 79 and younger, the renewal period is every eight years. Vision checks are every other renewal, or once every 16 years.
Of the 83,871 licenses motorists in Flagler County as of Jan. 1, 54% are between 51 and 100. Nineteen percent of Flagler drivers are between 61 and 70; 12% are between 71 and 80; 337 drivers in Flagler County are between 91 and 100 years old, or 0.4%.
Family members who are concerned about their relatives’ abilities to drive do have recourse: They can fill out form No. 72190, which will be confidential and will only be used to determine the qualifications of the individual to operate a motor vehicle on Florida’s highways. (The form can be found at www.FLHSMV.org.)
Heidelberg said the state has a medical review board that oversees reports that come in regarding potential cases involving an elderly driver.
“After the department receives the report concerning an at-risk driver, the driver may be required to take a re-examination or submit a medical report,” she said. “That board takes into consideration all the facts and the driver’s medical history.”
Law enforcement officers can also submit a form against a driver for review, Heidelberg said.
When Selis has a client who is concerned about driving safety, he encourages the family to have an open and frank discussion.
“If one of those concerns is that we think you’re going to end up hurting yourself or somebody else, ask the parent if they’re willing to have a driver’s test or have a doctor examine them to give an opinion,” he said. “But whatever the parent answers, the children need to be respectful. If they feel very strongly, there are legal steps that they can take to get the driving privileges revoked. But that is really going to negatively affect relationships in your family. So weigh those things out. But if they’re really in danger, it might have to be tough love.”
PUBLIX TRAGEDY
Ten people were injured when a 76-year-old driver plowed into Publix Supermarket at 4950 Belle Terre Parkway in Palm Coast at 1:24 p.m. Saturday, April 14.
Thelma Wagenhoffer, of the L-section, was identified as the driver of the Toyota Camry. She was not injured in the crash.
One couple had just finished checking out at the register — they had their grocery bags in hand — when the car entered the store. The man was pinned under the car and was eventually taken away in a helicopter for treatment.
See www.PalmCoastObserver.com.
