NORTH MIAMI BEACH, FLA. (WSVN) - A North Miami Beach family experienced a rude awakening when a car slammed into their home, sending a woman to the hospital.
The family was shaken up after a car crashed into their home near Northeast Eighth Avenue and 160th Terrace at around 2 a.m., Saturday.
The room suffered significant damage.
“I was sleeping and then I heard, ‘Boom!'” said Elianne Benyt, the victim’s sister.
@myNMBPolice is asking the public for their help in providing the PD with any info regarding this morning’s hit and run accident. The victim remains in critical condition. Detectives are working around the clock to solve this crime! Call us at 305-949-5500 with any info. #600
— North Miami Beach PD (@myNMBPolice) November 23, 2019
It took nearly an hour to remove the woman that was sleeping in the room. She was trapped among the rubble.
“I was hurt. I was really hurt,” said Benyt. “I don’t know what is gonna be happening because she was crying. There’s nothing I can do to get her out, you know. I was so shocked, my heart beating so hard.”
Benyt said the crash was so strong, it pushed her sister’s bed through a wall and into the back of the home.
“Everything is damaged,” she said.
The family continues to try to put their home back together.
The woman, later identified by family as 63-year-old Philomena Celestine, was taken to a local hospital, where she is listed in critical condition.
Police said the driver took off on foot. In a tweet, they said, “Detectives are working around the clock to solve this crime.”
If you have any information on this hit-and-run, call Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-TIPS. Remember, you can always remain anonymous, and you may be eligible for a $1,000 reward.
Copyright 2025 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.