FORT WAYNE, IN (Indiana's NewsCenter) --- Fort Wayne Police are trying to confirm whether a traffic accident on the west side of town Thursday was caused by a malfunctioning accelerator.
A 2006 Lexus plowed into a light pole just outside Biaggi’s Restaurant during the noon hour.
Myrna Cook of Paulding Ohio was taken to a hospital, but her injuries were not life threatening.
She was able to tell officers she believes a sticking gas pedal was to blame.
Cook's vehicle, made by the embattled Toyota Motor Company, hit with enough force that the light pole fell on the car.
The impact set off the driver's side air bag.
Cook told police she was cruising in the mall parking lot, when something went wrong.
Captain Steve Haffner/Fort Wayne Police Department: " She said suddenly she noticed the accelerator go to the floor. She tried to stop it. She was able to get it into neutral at some point, but she already reached some pretty high speeds coming through the parking lot. She was not able to manipulate the turn and hit the light pole as a result."
An employee from a nearby Old Navy Store tells Indiana’s NewsCenter she was eating lunch in her car in the parking lot, when she saw Cook’s vehicle driving past at a speed she estimated to be 60 miles per hour.
She told officers the woman was screaming for help.
Myrna Cook told police she'd recently had her car into the shop for repairs under an accelerator recall, but that information could not be confirmed.
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