Elderly woman dies after being crushed under her own car, deputies say

METAIRIE, La. (WVUE/Gray News) - The death of an elderly Louisiana woman is under investigation after she was found pinned underneath her running car in a parking lot, the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office said.

The circumstances of what deputies called a “fatal vehicle accident” were unclear and remain under investigation. The victim, whose identity and age have not been disclosed, was found just before 10 a.m. Saturday in the parking lot of a business in Metairie.

Kalyn Burnett told WVUE she had just arrived for her morning shift at a neighboring business when she noticed the police presence.

“They said something happened outside, and they asked my manager what had happened,” Burnett said. “I was confused.”

According to the sheriff’s office, the woman was found unconscious underneath the passenger side of a gray sedan. She was taken for medical treatment but died at the hospital.

One worker who tried to help first responders said they first thought a cat was meowing, trapped in the car, and they needed to get it out before it died from the heat. They said they didn’t realize someone was under the car until they approached it.

The car’s motor was still running and its backup lights were still on when deputies arrived, leading to a preliminary conclusion that the car had not been fully engaged in the park position before the victim got out.

“I was kind of scared,” Burnett said. “I felt bad for her. Rest in peace.”

Two surveillance cameras might have captured the accident. But workers at one business said the incident happened just out of their camera’s view, and a manager at the other shop said they couldn’t see anything on their feed.

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