A dramatic video has emerged showing an electric Toyota careening out of control through the Market Basket parking lot in Manchester, New Hampshire, before flipping and striking multiple vehicles. The incident occurred on a Tuesday morning around 9:30 a.m. near a dental office adjacent to the supermarket.
Fiordaliz Lopez, the driver, recounted her terrifying experience, stating that her electric Toyota suddenly accelerated on its own, seemingly “driving by itself” due to the rapid events. “I was screaming like the car cannot brake, the car cannot brake, and I don’t know when I’m going to end,” Lopez recalled, describing how the brakes appeared not to be working.
The vehicle eventually came to a stop on its side, with smoke billowing from it. Lopez attributes her survival to a miracle, as she narrowly avoided fatal consequences despite striking several vehicles in the busy parking lot. Fortunately, no pedestrians were hit.
“My car flipped over and thank God nothing happened to me because I was thinking that was the last day of my life,” Lopez said, emphasizing that her seatbelt played a crucial role in saving her life. As she was left dangling inside the overturned car, onlookers rushed to her aid, helping her escape through the broken glass window after she used her feet to push herself up from the driver’s side door.
Lopez sustained bruising on her arm and a painful burn on her neck during the ordeal. She firmly believes that a mechanical failure caused the incident, ruling out the possibility of her inadvertently hitting the gas pedal. The incident is currently under investigation.
The harrowing experience has left a lasting impact on Lopez, who credits a higher power for her rescue. “That was God who helped me out, because there’s no way I could have gotten myself out of that car,” she said, reflecting on the close call that could have ended in tragedy.
