St. Petersburg car crash: Police searching for driver of stolen car that slammed into home
Fiery hit-and-run crash destroys home
St. Pete police released video showing someone limping away after a car crashed into a home early Monday morning, sparking a fire and rendering the home unlivable. FOX 13’s Kylie Jones reports.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - A St. Petersburg home was destroyed after a car crashed into the living room early on Monday morning, according to authorities.
St. Petersburg car crash
What we know:
Investigators say St. Pete firefighters responded to the 4400 block of 14th Ave S shortly before 3 a.m. on Monday. First responders say a Honda Accord had slammed into the front wall of the living room and started a fire.
According to firefighters, the flames were quickly extinguished and the two people inside the home at the time of the crash were unharmed.
Driver crashes stolen car
The driver of the car took off on foot and has still not been found, according to police.
Investigators discovered that the vehicle was stolen sometime overnight from the 2100 block of 9th Avenue South.
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St. Pete Fire Rescue says the house is unlivable, and Red Cross was contacted to help residents.
Thankful to be Alive
What they're saying:
The homeowners are thankful to be alive.
Sandra Henderson says she and her husband were asleep in their bedroom, when they woke up to a loud boom.
"It's a lot of noise in this area, so we didn't think nothing of it," she said. "So, he was like, 'Let me get up and check'. And he got up, started yelling, 'There's a car in the living room. The house is on fire'. I'm like, 'What?'"
Henderson says they ran out the back door of their home and knocked down a fence to escape the flames.
"And all I saw was a car on top of my car and the house was on fire," she said.
On Monday morning, the couple was cleaning up the mess and boarding up a gaping hole in their living room.
"Stop stealing cars before you kill yourself or kill somebody else," Henderson said.
The couple started a fundraiser to help repair their home and replace their belongings.
What we don't know:
Investigators have not yet identified who was inside the vehicle or what caused the driver to veer off the road into the house.
The St. Petersburg Police Department is investigating.
Caught on Camera
What you can do:
On Monday afternoon, police released video of a person they believe was involved in the crash.
In the video, you can see a man appear to limp away from the direction of the crash scene.
Hit-and-run suspect caught on camera
St. Pete police are searching for a driver accused of crashing into a home early Monday morning.
Anyone with information on the crash is asked to contact the St. Petersburg Police Department at 727-893-7780 or text SPPD + the information to TIP411.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from St. Pete Fire first responders and the St. Petersburg Police Department.