Woman suffers heart attack in drive-thru

A senior East County woman was transported to Lakewood Ranch Medical Center early Sunday morning after suffering a heart attack while in the drive-thru of a Checkers restaurant.

A Manatee County Sheriff’s Office report states Rosalia P. Antoni, 79, was stopped in the drive-thru parking lot of the Lockwood Ridge Road Checkers restaurant when she began to suffer from a heart attack and stepped off the brake, hitting the vehicle in front of her.

Dame Pannell, 65, of Sarasota put his vehicle in park and got out to check on the driver behind him. Antoni was still experiencing the heart attack and pressed the accelerator, pushing her vehicle into the rear of Pannell’s car. Both vehicles went over the curb and through the bushes, the report states.

Panelli did not suffer any injuries. Both vehicles were damaged.

Contact Pam Eubanks at [email protected].