NORTHWEST MIAMI-DADE, FLA. (WSVN) - A South Florida woman is speaking out, hours after, police said, an elderly driver slammed into her house, Thursday morning.
7Skyforce HD hovered above the scene, near Northwest 82nd Court and 172nd Street, in Northwest Miami-Dade. According to Miami-Dade Police, an elderly woman drove her four-door Honda sedan into the home.
Julie Barcena says she was sitting at her dining room table just minutes before the car came crashing through her living room. “I just see glass everywhere and the dust, and finally, when I’m able to focus, it’s a car that’s sitting inside my dining room table,” she said as she held back tears.
Her father, who originally owned the property, said his daughter was visibly shaken after the crash. “She was all pure nerves – shaking, crying,” he said. “She told me she heard a loud ‘boom,’ and the car was just inside the house,” said Julio Moreira.
Barcena was not hurt.
The mother of two was the only one home at the time of the crash. “Just thinking if my kids would have been here, because they’re always playing there,” she said.
“The car entered the front, hit the hedge, and it flew over and into the house,” said Moreira. “There’s debris inside all the way to the back door,” he said.
7News cameras captured the front door of the home as it lay on the floor of the residence.
Officers and detectives blocked off part of the street for several hours as they investigated.
Police said the driver was clearly shaken up and was taken to a nearby hospital after telling officials she felt chest pains.
The Honda was towed away from the scene.
Moreira said this is not the first time a car has come crashing through. “The county has been told before about this. This is the second time this happened in my house, and the other time it took down the mailbox,” he said.
Neighbors are hoping the county will take action after years of asking for something to be done, to slow down traffic around the curve near Barcena’s home.
“There’s a lot of speeding, a lot of traffic,” said neighbor Mercy Sierra. “We requested speed bumps, we requested turnarounds, so that people can either slow down or go through the main thoroughfares.”
The county has deemed the home unlivable at this time. The family told 7News it will take several months before they are able to move back into the home.
The cause of the crash remains under investigation.
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