PUYALLUP, Wash. — A 51-year-old man was arrested after driving his car through an 81-year-old woman’s bedroom in Puyallup.
Puyallup Police Chief Scott Engle said the man was driving eastbound on 23rd Avenue Southeast before losing control of his car. The car turned toward 22nd Street Southeast before going off the road, through a fence, and into the back side of the home, according to Engle.
“We suspect the driver was impaired,” Engle said, explaining officers believed the driver was under the influence of an unspecified drug. “People aren’t civil on the road anymore. They don’t respect the laws of our state highways, our city roads, and our county roads. We’ve got to get back to a place where the law matters.”
The 81-year-old woman who was hit is expected to recover, according to Engle, who also said she was “very lucky to be alive.”
The car, which is a Hyundai, was not stolen, according to Engle.
David Johnson lives directly on the path of 22nd Street SE, which he’s been concerned about for a few years.
“We’ve said, ‘If it’s not ours, it’s going to be one of these (other houses).’ Unfortunately, that was proven true this morning,” Johnson said. “We worry about our own kids. I’ve got teenagers, young teenagers here. They’ve crossed that street before. They walk up the street. They get on the bus here. We’ve always been worried about their well-being if a car hits them.”
Thursday’s crash reminded Johnson of a recent fatal crash just a couple of miles away.
Three people died after a single-car crash on 19th Avenue SE, where investigators determined high speeds were a factor. Detectives also found alcohol and marijuana in the car.
“Now we’ve seen an 81-year-old lady get hurt in the safety of her own home. That’s the irony of it all. She’s supposed to be safe in her home but she’s not,” Johnson said. “It’s time the city steps up and does something or people — more people — are going to get really hurt or killed.
Johnson believes these three changes could potentially save lives: placing stop signs and speed bumps on 22nd Street SE, along with a stoplight on the corner of 23rd Avenue SE and 22nd Street SE.
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