[MaggieL]

I had something similar (but a near miss) happen to me many years ago.

I was walking down the sidewalk in the Loop area of downtown Chicago. Suddenly there was the sound of a revving engine from a parking garage across the street. A sedan came charging down the ramp, directly across the street, pushed between two parked cars, hit the side of a building, tore down the sidewalk (towards and then past me! I ended up between this car's path and the street) into the next intersection, t-boned a passing car, and fetched up aganst a stanchion for the El. They took the occupants of the t-bone victim off on back boards. Woman driving the car (apparently unhurt) claimed her accelerator stuck.

They don't have vehicle safety inspection in Illinois.