Elderly woman killed after being rolled over by her car in San Jose

SAN JOSE, Calif. - San Jose Police say a 78-year-old woman was killed on Friday after her car rolled over her. It happened near the corner of Lyric Lane and Otono Court in South San Jose.

This is the eighth traffic death in San Jose this year, but police say this accident was especially tragic because an elderly woman was killed by her own car. Someone left flowers near the scene of the accident in her memory. 

"Any place that was on a slope, I rejected because I knew it would be very scary to park," said Minoo Jha, of San Jose.

Jha says she lives on a street nearby without a steep hill but frequently walks on Lyric Lane, where Bella Vierra died after being rolled over by her car. She says she heard about Vierra’s death and wants older drivers to take more precautions behind the wheel.

"Steep hills are very tricky for drivers and the older you get, the more vulnerable you are," said Jha. 

What we know:

On Monday, San Jose Police held a news conference and said Vierra parked her car on the street and as she got out, her 2006 red Kia Sedona started rolling backwards.  

"When the driver was exiting the vehicle, the vehicle began moving and subsequently knocked the driver over and rolled over her. Medical personnel responded to the scene, and unfortunately, the victim was pronounced deceased on scene," said Stacie Shih, San Jose Police Dept. spokesperson. 

One neighbor told KTVU she believes she saw Vierra on the road just before the accident. When she got home, she saw police cars on her block.

"I just thought it was one of those confused, older people trying to drive or whatnot. It was like a shorter person," said Marielle Deguzman, of San Jose. 

By the numbers:

The CDC says 25 older adults are killed in traffic crashes each day in the U.S. It also recommends that older drivers get annual eye exams and, if possible, use alternatives to driving like ride-share or public transportation.

"It’s unfortunate that we had this fatal collision. It’s just a tragedy," said Shih. 

The Dept. of Motor Vehicles also says drivers should use the emergency or parking brake if parking on a hill. 

San Jose Police say they don’t know what caused the accident, but they’ll continue to investigate.