Police say an out-of-control SUV drove onto a sidewalk and killed three elderly women before crashing into a New York church. Authorities say the driver's foot might have gotten stuck on the gas pedal.

The driver, 55-year-old Luann Burgess, had dropped off a foster child at a nearby elementary school. As she returned along the route she drove every day, the SUV accelerated off the road. It hit the group at about 8:30 a.m. outside St. Matthew's Roman Catholic Church.

Acting Albany County Sheriff Craig Apple says her foot or a flip-flop she was wearing apparently interfered with the gas pedal. He calls the accident horrific and gruesome.

The victims were 76-year-old Carol Lansing, of Green Island, and 79-year-old Rosemarie Hume and 81-year-old Fran Pallozzi, both of Waterford.

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Wild weather on LI ... Deported LI bagel store manager speaks out ... Top holiday movies to see ... Visiting one of LI's best pizzerias ... Get the latest news and more great videos at NewsdayTV

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