Car Rental Customers Slam Cars into Homes, Injure Biker
Several accidents occurred last week involving rental cars. In one case, the rental agency was blamed for not screening its senior customers before renting, but the DMV said the company wasn’t responsible.
“Too old to drive? Her victim says yes,” read one headline from the New York Post in a story about a 90-year-old woman who sideswiped a motorcyclist in early October. While turning left in her Chevy minivan, Marion Clement severed 55-year-old Angel Colon’s leg and is now being sued by Colon. He is also suing Enterprise Rent-a-Car for negligence.
Colon’s claim is that at Clement’s age Enterprise should have gotten proof of her health or eyesight; his wife questions why RACs can’t rent to 21-year-olds but will rent to someone at 90. Colon’s suit contends that New York senior drivers should have to take a road test after the age of 75.
But Clement, a psychoanalyst, said she has a great driving record and that age doesn’t have anything to do with bad driving.
According to the article, the DMV said that Enterprise didn’t break any laws.
Then on Oct. 27 in Lexington, Ky., a home was condemned after a woman in her 70s, unnamed, started to back her rental car out of her home when it “gained speed” and slammed into her neighbor’s garage, according to NBC affiliate LEX18.com. It is unclear as to which rental agency the woman had rented from or if her neighbor plans to press charges.
On the same day, a woman in Charlotte, N.C., did the same thing but only it was her neighbor’s living room, according to CNN affiliate wsoctv.com. Natasha Matthias suffers from multiple sclerosis, an autoimmune disease that can cause loss of coordination and fatigue, and had been in an accident over summer. She had the rental car as a replacement.
Matthias fell asleep while backing out of her driveway. Her sister says the family plans to evaluate whether she should continue to drive.
More Rental Operations

Rental Car Fleet Sales Show Mid-Year Strength
June gains ensured rental fleets closed out the first half of 2026 in positive territory.
Read More →
Surprice Mobility Opens Corporate Rental Station at Milan Malpensa Airport
The Milan opening is part of Surprice Mobility's broader strategy to expand its corporate operations while increasing the use of technology across its network.
Read More →
Brazilian Executive MBA Targets Growing Domestic Rental Car Industry
Rental car companies face a unique combination of challenges that are rarely addressed in traditional programs.
Read More →
Green Motion Expands Into Japan With Master Franchise Agreement
Japan's tourism industry, business travel market, and demand for vehicle rental services are reasons the country represents an important market for the company.
Read More →
ACRA Carrying Fuller Industry Load As AI and EVs Lurk In Future
The leading car rental professional business group details an active legislative, regulatory, and macro-trends agenda affecting car rental operators.
Read More →
World Cup Travel Data Shows Longer Car Rentals and More One-Ways
A recent analysis of FIFA bookings found varied demand patterns that influenced rental car pricing.
Read More →
A Leveling Force: AI Morphs Into A Rental Car Profit-Seeker
Revenue managers can’t match the emerging AI tools gobbling lots of data that could counter the competitive race to the rate bottom.
Read More →Stop Losing Money On Rental Tolls
Regardless of your rental fleet size and structure, fleet managers, executives, and owners can gain valuable insights into an often-overlooked area of fleet operations.
Read More →
Rethink The Future To Avert A Race To The Bottom
Rental car operators heard a sobering industry message and a stern challenge at the close of the International Car Rental Show.
Read More →
DriveItAway, Free2move Plan Shared Fleet Program for Independent Rental Fleet Operators
Vehicles would be placed with participating rental operations to support car renter demand and provide additional fleet capacity.
Read More →
