Hit-and-run driver accused of plowing into Pinellas Park mobile home still on the run
Car crashes into mobile home
A Pinellas Park couple says they are lucky to be alive after a car slammed into their mobile home and the driver didn’t stick around. FOX 13’s Jennifer Kveglis reports.
PINELLAS PARK, Fla. - Police in Pinellas Park say they are searching for a driver accused of slamming into a mobile home and taking off.
The backstory:
Michelle Smith and Nathan LaFountain say they are grateful to be alive after a truck barreled into their mobile home on 76th Terrace North around 11 p.m. Saturday. The couple had just moved from their living room to their bedroom when the crash occurred.
According to the pair, the pickup truck clipped a fire truck responding to another call before jumping a median and slamming into their home, pinning them against a wall.
An Uber driver stopped to help, but they said the driver of the pickup and others inside tried to reverse and take off.
Police say the driver has not been located. One passenger was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
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The impact shifted the home off its foundation, leaving the couple displaced. Smith says the only belongings they were able to save were her books and a phone charger. They’re now staying with neighbors.
What they're saying:
"We’re just screaming for help because we’re trapped," Smith said, "It looks bad, it feels bad, it is bad. But we will recover."
LaFountain said, "A whole truck came through… he barely clipped a fire truck… hopped the median… and came straight in."
Smith hopes the crash serves as a reminder for drivers to slow down on U.S. 19: "We see people speeding… going 80, 90, and this is what happens."
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What's next:
As of Sunday, Pinellas Park Police are continuing to search for the driver who left the scene. The investigation is ongoing, and anyone with information is urged to contact the police.
The Source: This story is based on interviews with the homeowners, reporting by FOX 13’s Jennifer Kveglis, and information provided by the Pinellas Park Police Department.