Vehicle hits wall, rolls backward over driver who fell out at Mountain Laurel Plaza in Unity Township

Woman run over by her own car in McDonald's drive-through mishap

A 76-year-old woman was flown to a hospital after being run over by her car at a McDonald's drive-through lane in Unity Township, Westmoreland County, state police said.An employee handed a food order to the driver while the vehicle was stopped at the window of the restaurant in Mountain Laurel Plaza at about 10:30 a.m. Saturday, police said.The woman, identified by police as Janet Pfeifer, 76, dropped her order on the ground, then opened her car door and leaned over, trying to reach the food, but her vehicle accelerated and moved forward, police said.The car door hit the restaurant as the vehicle continued forward, and Pfeifer fell out, police said. The car then hit a wall in the parking lot and rolled backward over the woman as she was on the ground, police said.Pfeifer was taken by ambulance to Arnold Palmer Regional Airport and flown by helicopter to UPMC Presbyterian in Pittsburgh. She suffered what police described as moderate to severe injuries.A source said Pfeifer suffered head, jaw and arm injuries. A UPMC spokesperson did not immediately return requests for an update on Pfeifer's condition.Neighbor Janie Garlick said she hadn't heard about what happened to Pfeifer until a Pittsburgh's Action News 4 crew arrived in the neighborhood."I'm sorry to hear she got hurt. It's a terrible thing. Please tell her we'll miss her while she's recovering," Garlick said. "I'm shocked, very shocked. I'm appalled that that happened. I'm worried now what's going to happen to Miss Janet, at this point."Get the WTAE Pittsburgh's Action News 4 App

A 76-year-old woman was flown to a hospital after being run over by her car at a McDonald's drive-through lane in Unity Township, Westmoreland County, state police said.

An employee handed a food order to the driver while the vehicle was stopped at the window of the restaurant in Mountain Laurel Plaza at about 10:30 a.m. Saturday, police said.


The woman, identified by police as Janet Pfeifer, 76, dropped her order on the ground, then opened her car door and leaned over, trying to reach the food, but her vehicle accelerated and moved forward, police said.

The car door hit the restaurant as the vehicle continued forward, and Pfeifer fell out, police said. The car then hit a wall in the parking lot and rolled backward over the woman as she was on the ground, police said.

Pfeifer was taken by ambulance to Arnold Palmer Regional Airport and flown by helicopter to UPMC Presbyterian in Pittsburgh. She suffered what police described as moderate to severe injuries.

A source said Pfeifer suffered head, jaw and arm injuries. A UPMC spokesperson did not immediately return requests for an update on Pfeifer's condition.

Neighbor Janie Garlick said she hadn't heard about what happened to Pfeifer until a Pittsburgh's Action News 4 crew arrived in the neighborhood.

"I'm sorry to hear she got hurt. It's a terrible thing. Please tell her we'll miss her while she's recovering," Garlick said. "I'm shocked, very shocked. I'm appalled that that happened. I'm worried now what's going to happen to Miss Janet, at this point."