Nine Kids Injured As Driver, 100, Mounts Kerb

A 100-year-old man has driven his car onto a pavement in Los Angeles, hitting 11 people including nine children.

The driver, named by police as Preston Carter, backed his powder blue Cadillac into a group of parents and children buying snacks from a street stall.

The accident happened outside a primary school in south Los Angeles as children were on their way home, according to US authorities.

Onlookers banged on the car windows and screamed for the pensioner to stop as he reversed slowly but by the time he did, some children were trapped under the vehicle.

Children's rucksacks, shoes, sweets and loose change were strewn around the pavement and road behind a grocery shop after the drama.

LA fire captain Jaime Moore said four of the children had been in a critical condition when firefighters arrived but that they were stabilised at the scene.

They are now in a serious condition in hospital. Two adults were also injured in the accident.

Mr Carter talked to television reporters after the crash and said he has a driver's licence and will be 101 years old on September 5.

"My brakes failed. It was out of control," he told KCAL-TV.

Asked about hitting the children, he added: "You know I'm sorry about that. I wouldn't do that for nothing on earth. My sympathies for them."

The driver was pulling out of the shop car park and backed onto the pavement instead of the street, police Captain George Rodriguez said.

"I think it was a miscalculation on his part. The gentleman is elderly," he added. "Obviously he is going to have some impairment on his decision-making."

Capt Rodriguez said the collision was being investigated as an accident. He confirmed Mr Carter had a valid driver's licence and said he was not under arrest.

According to California's Department of Motor Vehicles, people over the age of 70 must renew their licence in person instead of by post or the internet.

Older drivers may also have to take another driving test if they fail an eye test or if a policeman, doctor or relative raises questions about their ability to drive.