An empty sidewalk cutout for a street tree doesn’t seem like a big deal until a senior’s mobility scooter catches a wheel in it and flips over.

That’s the painful ending to Delores Hill-Strathdee’s trek to a grocery store on her scooter, which ended up on top of her after one wheel dropped into a tree cutout and sent her sprawling to the sidewalk.

A note from Hill-Strathdee, 75, underscores a point we’ve made for many years: sidewalk hazards that may seem trifling are a danger to people who aren’t as sure-footed and nimble as most of us.

She was on her way back from the Loblaws at Maple Leaf Gardens and was travelling south in the electric scooter prescribed for her mobility problems, on the east side of Church St., just south of McGill St.

Heading towards her was “a group of young people being jovial and kibitzing around,” she recalled. “I was worried that if they started pushing or other horseplay, they might get hurt by the scooter,” so she hugged to one side as they passed.

“I was going slow and being careful (but) I didn’t realize the depth of the planter holes in the sidewalk. My scooter’s back wheel went into the hole and the scooter fell over on top of me.”

One of the rubber armrests was broken and the body of the scooter was damaged, she said, adding, “I live alone and have no family to help me. My only source of independence is my scooter.”

But that’s the least of it, she said.

“My knees were twisted and hurt, two fingers on my left hand are in pain and swollen. My back hurts, my neck hurts and I hit my head on the sidewalk. I also hurt my right elbow.

“I was sooo embarrassed at being so helpless, laying on the ground and needing help,” she said, stressing that the kids pulled the scooter off her, helped her get back on it and picked up her groceries, which spilled onto the street.

“Once I was on the scooter, all I could think of was to get home and hide like a dog that is injured.”

We went there and found two empty tree planters in the sidewalk in front of an A&W restaurant, which look disarmingly benign. But not so much, if you use a mobility scooter for transportation.

STATUS: We’ve asked transportation services to take a look at the cutouts as soon as possible, and fill them in until they can be replanted with trees.

Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading...