Auto Rental News
MenuMENU
SearchSEARCH

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.

by Staff
November 2, 2011
2 min to read


“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.

Ad Loading...

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

Globe image with Text: GBTA Business Travel Forecast

Car Rental Rates Forecast to Rise 3.6% in 2026 Before Easing in 2027

Car rental rates are projected to rise less than airfares and hotel rates in 2026, then become the only major travel category forecast to decline in 2027, according to projections from GBTA and ALTOUR.

Read More →
Car rental sign with financial graph in background
Rental Operationsby Chris BrownAugust 2, 2026

Avis Cuts Fleet as Summer Demand Trails Expectations

Avis Budget Group increased second-quarter earnings despite lower Americas revenue and softer-than-expected summer demand. The company also expanded Avis First and advanced its autonomous fleet operations with Waymo.

Read More →
car rental booking engine on computer screen with text: Bookings aren't the whole story
Rental OperationsAugust 1, 2026

Why Bookings Are Only the Start of the Rental Day

A reservation captures demand. The operating test is whether the business can keep the customer, vehicle, commercial terms, and next action aligned until the rental is closed.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Rental Operationsby Chris BrownJuly 31, 2026

This Is the Oldest Car Rental Advertisement You’ll Ever See

This ad for Saunders Drive it Yourself, believed to be the first car rental company in the U.S., was found in an Omaha phone book from 1926.

Read More →
A counter agent chats with a customer over a rental counter
Rental OperationsJuly 21, 2026

The Desk Upsell Is Costing Operators More Than it Earns

Counter upsells generate revenue, but they can also slow transactions, erode trust, and cost repeat business. Fully inclusive pricing may offer operators a better path to long-term value.

Read More →
U-Save Mauritius team

U-Save Expands Indian Ocean Presence with New Master Franchise for Mauritius

The franchise has been acquired by Mauritian travel entrepreneur Umarfarooq Omarjee, an established figure in the island's tourism and mobility sector.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Back view of a remote driver in front of a screen delivering a car to a location.

Global Carsharing Fleet Projected to Reach 768,000 Vehicles By 2030

A new Berg Insight forecast outlines several business models driving the projected growth in public carsharing worldwide through 2029.

Read More →
green and blue bar graphs compare fleet sales June 2025 versus June 2026
Fleet Acquisitionby Martin RomjueJuly 8, 2026

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 →
Close up of a row of white CUVs in the Surprice Mobility fleet at the Milan airport.

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 →
Ad Loading...
Julian Gritsch with an MBA class in a classroom.

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 →
Ad Loading...