CLEARWATER, Fla. - A 15-year-old boy was taken to an area hospital Tuesday night after he sped down a street and crashed a vehicle into a Clearwater home, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.
Homeowners Kirk Pillow and his wife, Caitlin, were sitting on their living room couch when they heard tires screeching right before the impact.
"That's when all the collisions happened," Kirk Pillow said. "And the house shook like a bomb hit it."
Clearwater vehicle crash
What we know:
Troopers said a 15-year-old boy was driving a Dodge Durango at a high rate of speed on South Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue around 10 p.m. Tuesday.
According to FHP, the teenager lost control of the vehicle and ran off the road near Hall Street.
Teen loses control of SUV
The vehicle, according to troopers, struck multiple traffic control devices and utility fixtures, before slamming into a home and a vehicle parked outside.
Witnesses told FOX 13 the teen driver hit a stop sign and fire hydrant before plowing through the Pillow’s property, which is just down the road from Ward's Seafood Market.
The teen sustained non-life-threatening injuries and was taken to an area hospital. Image is courtesy of the Florida Highway Patrol.
The teen driver was taken to an area hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
After rushing outside, the Pillows told FOX 13 they saw a car on their roof. That car later rolled off their roof and crashed onto Caitlin’s SUV parked out front. The crash also uprooted one of their trees.
What they're saying:
"It's most important that nobody got seriously injured, which is surprising after the photos that everyone's seeing and the damage that's been done," Kirk Pillow said.
"Parents, where were they? I mean, I’ve got a 19-year-old daughter. I know kids will be kids," Pillow said. "I mean, something's got to give. This is not fair — I mean, all this property damage."
"100 Deadliest Days" for teen drivers
Big picture view:
This crash happened just days into what is known as the "100 Deadliest Days." This stretch between Memorial Day and Labor Day earned that national nickname due to a sharp spike in fatal crashes involving teen drivers.
Fortunately, nobody inside the house or on the roadway was killed in this specific wreck.
Neighborhood cleanup efforts
Dig deeper:
On Wednesday, neighbors helped the Pillow family clean up the damage left behind.
Troopers say a 15-year-old boy lost control of the car and crashed into another vehicle and a home. Image is courtesy of the Florida Highway Patrol.
"There were car parts everywhere, glass all over, I'm cleaning up," neighbor Mike Sellers said. "Just straightening all the loose ends up, making it where it's not looking like a total wreck, which it did just a few hours ago."
Residents told FOX 13 that speeding is a long-standing issue in the area and suggested a stoplight or speed tables could help.
Florida Highway Patrol investigation
What we don't know:
State troopers have not yet released what caused the teenage driver to lose control of the vehicle, or if he will face any potential charges.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from the Florida Highway Patrol, regional highway safety statistics from AAA and on-scene statements provided by property owners impacted by the crash.