A Deerfield Beach woman was killed outside church Sunday morning after she was struck by a car driven by an elderly fellow churchgoer, authorities said.
Luciana Porto, 66, was killed as she was leaving St. Ambrose Catholic Church at 380 S. Federal Highway shortly before 10 a.m., the Broward Sheriff's Office said.
The BSO said 88-year-old Mary Sczepanski was leaving after church let out in her 2007 Buick Century and accidentally drove in reverse while she was backed into a parking spot.
Apparently startled, the elderly woman accelerated over a curb stop and onto the sidewalk, unaware Porto was standing there. The Buick struck Porto and came to rest a short distance away, the BSO said.
The BSO's Fire Rescue units responded and rushed Porto to North Broward Medical Center, where she later died. Sczepanski and a witness were evaluated at the scene but didn't need treatment.
Authorities don't think alcohol or medications were a factor in the crash, but said charges, if any, will be pending completion of an investigation.
