M'sia woman, 61, crashes Porsche into Penang hotel lobby while waiting to pick up grandson, pressed accelerator by mistake

A 61-year-old woman allegedly drove her Porsche into the ground-floor café of a hotel along Persiaran Gurney in Penang, Malaysia, at 11:47am on Jun. 7, after reportedly mistaking the accelerator for the brake.

The woman, from Bukit Mertajam, had driven to the combined hotel and condominium building in Persiaran Gurney to pick up her grandson and was waiting at the ground-floor lobby when the incident occurred.

What happened

According to Sin Chew Daily, the woman appeared unfamiliar with the vehicle's controls and allegedly stepped on the accelerator instead of the brake, sending the Porsche crashing through the entrance of the hotel café. A counter inside the café stopped the car from going further.

A female staff member was badly frightened by the impact, though no one was injured. The café had no customers at the time. The woman got out of the car in a panic and was also uninjured.

The Porsche sustained damage on all sides, including its mirrors, and all four airbags deployed on impact.

Northeast police chief Assistant Commissioner Abdul Rozak Muhammad said in a statement that preliminary investigations suggest the woman mistakenly hit the accelerator instead of the brake as she was about to leave.

He said:

"No fatalities or injuries were reported. The extent of losses is still under investigation."

Café to remain closed

A hotel representative told Sin Chew Daily that staff had immediately cleared the scene and locked the café, barring entry to others.

The representative said:

"The hotel will seek compensation from the driver, but the loss amount cannot be estimated at this time, and the café is expected to remain closed for an extended period."

Investigations ongoing

The case is being investigated for careless and inconsiderate driving, an offence punishable by up to 12 months in jail and a maximum fine of RM10,000 (S$3,200).