Driver in Fatal Gym Crash Has History of Parking Problems

LifeStyleRX in Livermore will reopen on Sept. 28 at noon, according to a notice posted on the gym’s website. The fitness center has been closed since Sept. 22 after tragedy struck when an elderly woman mistook the gas pedal for the brake and accelerated into the building, killing one and injuring five others.

Livermore Police received multiple 911 calls on Tuesday around 6:26 a.m. after the 2013 Mercedes accelerated through the glass doors, traveling nearly 70 feet through the ground floor of the building, eventually colliding into an exercise classroom. Those injured were taken to a local hospital for treatment. Livermore resident Katheryn “Kathy” Baker, an executive at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, eventually succumbed to her injuries, and died at the hospital while being treated.

Police officials believe the 80-year-old driver, who was attempting to park her car, likely had “pedal confusion” and hit the gas pedal instead of the brake. During the investigation, police discovered that the woman had driven her car onto the sidewalk near the gym about a year before Tuesday’s fatal crash. Police officials said they were not made aware of the sidewalk incident, which was witnessed by gym employees, until Tuesday’s crash.

See More:

• One Dead, Five Injured After Car Drives Through Livermore Gym

Baker, 49, of Livermore, was the chief financial officer at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, according to laboratory spokeswoman Lynda Seaver.

LifeStyleRx, located at 1119 East Stanley in Livermore, is a 70,000-square-foot gym and wellness center that is part of the Stanford Health Care - ValleyCare system, according to its website.

Bay City News contributed to this report.

Photo courtesy Livermore Police Facebook