Man Pinned Between a Truck and a Gas Pump in Gas Station Accident

Date:  February 16, 2012
Location:  Space Age gas station, SE 17th Ave. & Knight St.
Name:  Ali Fouladi

A “friendly neighbor who likes to hang out at the station” is in serious condition at OHSU Hospital, after an elderly man who had just left the same hospital smashed his car into a gas station pump, pinning the victim between the pump and a pickup truck.

Portland police have now identified the victim as Ali Fouladi, whom it was initially assumed was working at the Space Age gas station on SE 17th Ave. & Knight Street in Southeast Portland. It turns out Fouladi simply likes to hang out and chat with friends.

Thursday afternoon, a driver who had just left OHSU pulled into the station but instead of hitting the brakes, hit the accelerator. The car hit the gas pump and tore it off its moorings. The station manager, Randy Kinser, said he had to pull the elderly man’s foot off the gas pedal, before he and another man could pull the pump off Fouladi.

Fouladi was immediately taken to OHSU Hospital with serious injuries, according to the report on Fox 12 Oregon. According to Portland Fire & Rescue spokesman Paul Corah, the victim was “conscious, breathing and talking” when he was admitted to the hospital.

We would like to wish Ali Fouladi a speedy and full recovery from his injuries after this traumatic and very unfortunate incident.

In the wake of a serious accident like this, each person must deal with it in whatever way works best for them. We would never try to talk someone into taking legal action. It is an individual decision that can only be made by Ali Fouladi and his family.

When a driver causes an accident because of a medical condition, which may or may not be the case in this accident, it can be difficult to figure out whose fault it is. You may be surprised to read this from a personal injury attorney, but it may be nobody’s fault. A freak accident is what we call an “act of God,” and nobody gets blamed.

But, here are some other possibilities:

-The driver may have been on medication that specifically stated he shouldn’t drive. That would make it the driver’s fault.

-The driver may have been on medication that did not state he shouldn’t drive, but should have! That would make it the fault of whoever produced, tested, and labeled the medication.

-The driver may have been on medication that should state that he shouldn’t drive, but the pharmacist mislabeled it. Pharmacy’s fault.

-The driver’s doctor may have misdiagnosed a condition, and therefore failed to tell the driver that he shouldn’t be driving.

There’s no way to know what actually happened to cause this tragedy without further investigation. This is certainly a situation that can get complicated fast. A competent personal injury attorney can help guide you through the process.