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Children just left apartment before SUV crash that injured 'Granny'
91-year-old in critical condition at Normal hospital
By Ryan Denham
rdenham@pantagraph.com
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BLOOMINGTON -- If “feisty Granny” Vera Ely hadn’t been so persistent in wanting to vacuum her apartment Thursday morning, Debbie Ashman says she and two young children would’ve been inside when a sport utility vehicle crashed through a bedroom wall, critically injuring the 91-year-old. | Photo gallery | Video

But because Ashman had forgotten to bring over a vacuum to Ely’s new apartment like she had asked, everyone left to go get one — except Ely, who is the great-great-great grandmother of two of Ashman’s own grandchildren.

“If she hadn’t been there complaining about the vacuum, I would have been there with the kids,” said Ashman of her 2-year-old grandson and another 4-year-old in her family.

Ely remained in critical condition Friday at a Bloomington hospital with a fractured skull and crushed facial bones after a neighbor trying to park an SUV accidentally drove through a parking shelter and into the apartment. Ely was in hit the head with debris, police said.

The driver, Nancy Simmons, 52, told police she didn’t know why the vehicle unexpectedly accelerated. The crash is under investigation, and Simmons has been charged with driving an uninsured motor vehicle.

Ashman said doctors told the family that the first 48 hours were key, but that Ely fortunately had no internal injuries. Ely, who has a pacemaker, has been largely unresponsive, but Ashman said she’s “acting like she’s fighting against the ventilator, indicating she knows it’s there.”

“Granny’s real feisty and she’s a fighter, so we’re seeing that in her,” Ashman said Friday while at OSF St. Joseph Medical Center.

Ashman said Ely moved into the lower-level apartment earlier this month with her great-great granddaughter, Nikki Runyon; Runyon’s daughter, Kaisha, 4; and Ashman’s 23-year-old daughter, Julia Ashman. Debbie Ashman, who is moving into an apartment across the parking lot from the damaged unit, is not Ely’s blood relative.

Rescue crews and bystanders initially thought a child may have been inside the apartment at the time of the crash because children’s videos and clothing was visible in the debris.

But Ashman and the two young children had left about 15 minutes earlier, and her daughter Julia, who is pregnant and due in late October, was in Chicago for the day.

It was unclear if Ely was awake or sleeping in the bedroom when the crash happened.

“Granny is the most giving and wonderful lady in the entire world,” Ashman said. “They don’t come any better.”

No renters’ insurance

The tenants do not have renters’ insurance and have not heard from Kauffman Apartments, the management company, on when they’ll be able to move back in.

Ashman said Friday the family has barely left the hospital since the crash, though they could stay at Ashman’s current apartment if need be.

Owner John Kauffman said Friday that a contractor and a dumpster were on site and cleanup had already begun. He didn’t have a timetable set for the completion of the repairs, but he said he “usually doesn’t let (contractors) just take their time with it.”

“As far as the unit goes, we’ll put it back to the condition it was in,” he said.

Kauffman said he expects his insurance to cover the entire costs of the repair. He could not provide a dollar estimate.

The entire building was evacuated immediately after the crash as rescue crews pulled the vehicle from the building. Most residents were allowed back inside Thursday afternoon, but a structural engineer had to inspect the property before tenants in the units directly above Ely’s apartment could return.

Kauffman said Friday that residents had been allowed to return to those final two units.
Take a look
This photo, taken by Bloomington Police Department public affairs officer Dave White, shows the damage to an apartment at 1901 Tracy Drive in Bloomington after an SUV crashed through the wall. (For The Pantagraph/DAVE WHITE).
Bloomington firefighters wait for a building inspector to give them permission to move a sport utility vehicle that crashed through a brick wall on the west side of an apartment building at 1901 Tracy Drive in Bloomington Thursday morning. (The Pantagraph/STEVE SMEDLEY)
Bloomington Fire Capt. Mark Esme works the scene of a sport utility vehicle that entered a lower-level apartment unit at 1901 Tracy Drive in Bloomington Thursday morning. (The Pantagraph/STEVE SMEDLEY)
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Reader comments on this story - 33 total

Note: All views and opinions expressed in reader comments are solely those of the individual submitting the comment, and not those of the Pantagraph or its staff.

dlashd-t-b wrote on Sep 20, 2008 4:22 PM:

" "To so what": If she didnt go through a brick wall then explain the huge chunk of brick that struck Vera in the head causing the skull fracture. Nancy may have drove through the window but 3/4 of the wall in the room was gone. So yes she hit a brick wall. Prayers to Vera and eveyone praying for her thank you for the support keep her in your thoughts and prayers through this hard time. "

meezers wrote on Sep 19, 2008 5:56 PM:

" Prayers to the family. This happened to me several years ago - it was the throttle sensor - still no excuse for not having insurance. "

itsme wrote on Sep 19, 2008 2:26 PM:

" Actually when I renewed my sticker there is a spot on the renewal form where you are supposed to put your insurance information. I had it filled out but they didn't check it when I took it in. So there is SOMETHING on there but I bet I was the only one who ever filled it out. "

Govt oppressed Mule wrote on Sep 19, 2008 1:35 PM:

" SCAPEGOAT:

LMAO!!! I completely agree 10 sec isn't much time to think. I've heard about issues like that (one in Reader's Digest had the lady going down the interstae exceeding 100+ MPH due to the return spring (?) on her accelerator pedal ) and always wondered about dropping it in park. Thanks for the response. "

Meh wrote on Sep 19, 2008 1:22 PM:

" albundy54, and if they did require you to show proof of insurance, you'd be complaining that the Democrats inconvenience you at the DMV and then you'd complain about the cost of verifying insurance for everyone. Anything to complain about Democrats. I'm sure when George Ryan was in power, everyone had to show proof. Oh wait... "

New Nana wrote on Sep 19, 2008 11:37 AM:

" WOW!! I hope everyone will be ok! "

Scapegoat wrote on Sep 19, 2008 9:17 AM:

" Gov't oppressed Mule - He's a quick thinker, but I'm honestly not sure. He told me that there was less than ten seconds between the accelerator locking up and him striking the building. In that kind of time frame, all I would have had the presence of mind to do (outside of hitting the brakes) is soil myself. =P "

Cthulhu wrote on Sep 19, 2008 9:00 AM:

" drksky, apparently you listen to Rush as well. Otherwise, you wouldn't have known where it came from. It's not too late to leave the Dark Side democrat party, you know! "

candy wrote on Sep 19, 2008 8:22 AM:

" And THIS, my friends, is why the cost of insurance is so high. Now the apartment complex will have to use THEIR insurance to pay for it, even though it was no fault to them. While they may try to recover their losses from the individual driving with no insurance, in all likeliness it will not happen. Aren't any of you sick of paying for those who think they don't have to have insurance? I sure am. "

albundy54 wrote on Sep 19, 2008 8:16 AM:

" Blueglock, thanks for that info. It is somewhat of a relief to know that if a person is caught driving without insurance some type of monitoring is set up afterwards. I have never had a no insurance ticket as I am not brave enough to drive without it. Safe drving is a science of timing, inches, and quick reflexes and at any given time anything can go awry. That is why I wouldn't start the engine of a vehicle that was not covered by insurance because you just never know. I do hope this lady recovers fully, I can't imagine what it would be like to be in your bedroom in the middle of the day and have a vehicle come crashing through the window. "

4mama wrote on Sep 19, 2008 7:51 AM:

" The windows have to be there for the apartment to have bedrooms on that level. Theer has to be an escape route in case of fire. My vet's office was putting up barricades last time I was there because people kept driving into the building. I wonder if putting these up would make those types of apartments safer.

As far as not having insurance, I'm really concerned for Vera and the medical bills that must be piling up faster than the rain fell last week. At least the driver's insurance would have covered the bills. What will she do and what effect will this have on her family if there is no money from the driver to help defray expenses? It's not just about breaking the law, but the consequences to the victim. "

so what wrote on Sep 19, 2008 7:24 AM:

" To dlash: The vehicle didn't "go through a brick wall". It went through the window and then the top of the vehicle smashed down when it encountered the brick at the top of the window. I really don't think that if the truck hit solid brick with no windows that it would have entered the room as it did. "

dlash wrote on Sep 19, 2008 1:25 AM:

" Try being a member of the family of Vera Ely and knowing what the structure of the apartment is like and knowing that the Explorer had to of driven through a storage area that is in front of where the exporer parked, jumped the curb and went through a brick wall to end up where it did. I wasn't driving that explorer but I do know what was between the explorer and Vera's bedroom and I don't think the mandatory insurance would of helped that driver ONE BIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

For those of you are prayinng for Vera, please continue she needs ALL the prayers she can get. We all just hope and pray we won't lose an important person in our life because of this incident. "

jipsi wrote on Sep 18, 2008 11:05 PM:

" Looking in the "Gallery" of pics on this, one really GOT ME: it's a Steve Smedley pic of Chris Yayu and wee (2 months old!) son Benjamin, and the concerned, reflective look on the father's face as he holds his child close is disarming. This could have happened to anybody, and the consequences would have been as tragic, but in this photo-glimpse we can see a parent both worried for a neighbor and thankful that his baby's bedroom wasn't the one involved...
Steve Smedley, I hope someone enters your photo in some newsphoto competition, because it deserves accolades, if not an AWARD. Thanks for being our "eyes".

The injured lady is in my prayers this evening, and I hope she recovers and is able to return home soon...

I have often wondered at the wisdom of parking areas (right up to within a couple feet!) so close to any residential or commercial building... "

newshound wrote on Sep 18, 2008 10:08 PM:

" Amen AL---I agree and they should be cracking down on people driving cars with tires that have hardly any tread. "

blueglock22 wrote on Sep 18, 2008 9:37 PM:

" Albundy, Insurance is verified with some registrations...if you have ever gotten a ticket without insurance they will verify it upon registration for several years or the plates get suspended.. or there is also the random insurance verification, they send letters with the registrations for people to verify they have it....none of that stops someone from getting insurance for 1 month year in order to verify it when they register, some people just don't think anything bad will happen to them so they think it is worth the gamble, that's why many people have uninsured motorists insurance with the rest of their auto insurance "

JAK wrote on Sep 18, 2008 8:37 PM:

" albundy54 is so RIGHT!! I went to purchase my sticker just last week, no insurance proof required, just $78.....but, the gal did notice that the name on my check and the app from the state differed, and questioned me . I told her I had gotten married, my car title had not been changed,she kindly told me that was a legal document that needed changed and asked for another $68.!!! I paid the $78, got my sticker, and hope I don't get in trouble! Prayers to Vera Ely, and to Ms. Simmons: if you can afford the vehicle you are driving, and the gas to run it....SO SAD you aren't smart enough to have insurance! and PS I am overinsured on my vehicles, home, etc! "

albundy54 wrote on Sep 18, 2008 6:04 PM:

" You know something folks? If the greedy state of Illinois made a car owner show proof of insurance when you renew your license sticker many of these uninsured vehicles would be off the street. Any other state that has mandatory insurance demands proof upon renewing a license sticker. Illinois is too greedy to turn away that 78 dollar fee and allows many uninsured vehicles to remain on the roads. This is just wrong, and I know they don't demand proof of insurance as I just renewed by sons' work car two weeks ago and they did not ask for any type of proof of insurance. Thank you Jesse White, another good old Chicago democrat. "

think_first wrote on Sep 18, 2008 5:12 PM:

" this happened to me before it was about 25 yrs ago (no emergency brake, slamming the stupid thing in park, nothing helped,it tore the car up but the police at least saw i tried everything.just a fluke of nature sometimes believe me i had my whole body on the brake lol.you have to think quick no time for nothing. "

4mama wrote on Sep 18, 2008 4:27 PM:

" I know most accidents happen in the home, but wouldn't ya think you'd feel pretty safe in your own bed? Prayers for this lady. I hope she recovers well.

Would putting the car in neutral help with acceleration problems? At least then even if the engine was racing it wouldn't be going forward. "

BG wrote on Sep 18, 2008 4:16 PM:

" This isn't funny. A lady is in critical condition. My son's car accellerated on him last year and scared both my kids to death. He turned it off and called me, refused to drive it. It happened when he turned the heater on and as soon as the fan kicked in the engine started racing. We never did figure it out; it has never done it again since. It was real though cause it was still doing it when I got there and turned the car back on. It wasn't a floormat jammed under the gas pedal either. Once it stopped it never has done it since. He was smart enough to turn the car off to get stopped. He's lucky he wasn't in any traffic at the time. (That car isn't being driven anymore.) "

Gov't oppressed Mule wrote on Sep 18, 2008 4:02 PM:

" SCAPEGOAT

Did your stepdad try putting the vehicle in park? It might ruin the transmission, but am curious if it would work. Just in case something like that happens to me :-) "

drksky wrote on Sep 18, 2008 2:25 PM:

" @Cthulu
You need to stop listening to Limbaugh so much. "

TrueGrit wrote on Sep 18, 2008 2:15 PM:

" Hope everyone is ok that was involved. "

Scapegoat wrote on Sep 18, 2008 1:46 PM:

" Whether the accelerator stuck or the driver took her foot off of the brake, we may never know. Regardless, such things can happen in vehicles both old and new.

At the end of the work day, my stepdad was driving his 3-month old truck at about 20 mph through the yard at his plant when the accelerator stuck and would not dislodge. The truck wouldn't stop, even with him throwing on the emergency brake and slamming the brakes to the floor with both feet. He had a choice between hitting an industrial gas pump or the side of a sturdy brick building. He chose the building and, fortunately, no one was badly injured. "

Cthulhu wrote on Sep 18, 2008 1:39 PM:

" It's amazing how a "sport utility vehicle drove through parking shelter and into the corner unit of an apartment building." I thought only people could drive. "

realist wrote on Sep 18, 2008 12:56 PM:

" Terrible accident, hope everyone is okay. But if you look at the picture, it actually looks a little funny. On the upper left of the picture there is a No Trespassing sign and the picture shows a vehicle sticking out of the apartment building. Is that considered trespassing? "

Blogger wrote on Sep 18, 2008 12:52 PM:

" Wow! How terrible. I hope the women inside and the driver are ok. "

pseudo-intellectual wrote on Sep 18, 2008 12:36 PM:

" I have had problems with a stuck accelerator in the past, but never has my vehicle gotten away from me. It sounds like the driver may have taken his/her foot off the brake. The vehicle looks new- when this happened to me it was with an older vehicle (after a tuneup, ironically). "

flex remmington wrote on Sep 18, 2008 12:34 PM:

" How come wierd stuff always happens on Tracy Dr? I mean seriously, of the 100,000+ poeple that live in Bloomington/Normal there are what, maybe 3 or 4 hundred that live on Tracy? Why is it in the news so much? "

so what wrote on Sep 18, 2008 11:53 AM:

" To: Rantagraph......Uhhh...wait and see when the article gets updated... "

bummer wrote on Sep 18, 2008 11:49 AM:

" Looking at that picture I could swear that was taken just down the street from me here in Houston. "

Rantagraph wrote on Sep 18, 2008 11:48 AM:

" uhh....How did this happen???? "
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