Driver, 80, crashes into gym class, kills Livermore lab CFO, injures 5

An 80-year-old driver confused by the pedals in her car crashed through a Livermore gym Tuesday, killing the CFO of Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and injuring five others who were working out during a class, police said.

The driver, whose name wasn’t released, was trying to park her Mercedes SUV at 6:26 a.m. outside LifeStyle RX gym when she confused the gas and brake pedals, said Livermore Police Officer Traci Rebiejo.

The woman’s vehicle went over the curb and 60 feet into the gym, hitting six people performing TRX suspension training, Rebiejo said.

A Livermore woman was taken to a hospital, where she died. The Alameda County coroner’s bureau identified her as 49-year-old Katheryn Baker. Lawrence Livermore lab confirmed in a statement that the woman killed was the lab’s chief financial officer.

“This is a tragedy for her immediate family as well as her lab family. Kathy was a special person and a valued member of our laboratory. It is hard to put into words just how much she will be missed,” lab director Bill Goldstein said.

Five other people were treated for minor injuries, including complaints of pain. The driver was not injured, Rebiejo said. Police said drugs and alcohol did not play a role in the crash.

Investigators interviewed the driver and several gym members Tuesday morning. Once detectives complete their investigation, they will present the case to the district attorney’s office to decide whether charges will be filed against the driver, Rebiejo said.

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The Associated Press was used in compiling this report.

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