Alameda County

Woman Pinned Under SUV That Slammed Into San Leandro Garage

A 20-year-old driver lost control late Monday night of his SUV and slammed into a converted bedroom in San Leandro, pinning a sleeping woman under the vehicle, police said.

Alameda County firefighters and paramedics rushed to the home on Farnsworth and Purdue streets near Corvallis Elementary School after 10:30 p.m. and took the 25-year-old woman – and the driver – to the hospital.  Police and witnesses said the driver appeared to be speeding in a residential neighborhood where the speed limit is 30 mph.

The young woman was sleeping when she was pinned underneath the car, and taken to the hospital in critical condition, police said. Neighbor Jeff Balagot said he ran across the street and started digging her out from the debris. He described a gruesome scene where the woman lay gasping underneath the Acura SUV.

“We are looking into whether or not the driver was under the influence of alcohol or drugs when this happened,” Lt. Robert McManus said.  “Regardless of that answer, the man was traveling at an extremely high rate of speed, much too fast for that neighborhood."

A witness who only wanted to be identified as "Lois" said the SUV was speeding at what seemed to be 100 mph, clipped a car, a bicyclist, jumped a curb and then hit the home.  A piece of her white bumper lay in the street.

"He went straight through the stop sign," she said. "After he clipped this girl's car and he went straight through the house."

Virgil De Guzman said the victim is his friend's daughter, who recently got engaged.

"She's beautiful. She's got a great personality," De Guzman said. "Just unfortunate this thing happened."

City building inspectors checked the home’s structural integrity and determined that the garage and kitchen sustained major damage, police said.  The house has been “yellow tagged,” meaning the people who live inside cannot return immediately.

NBC Bay Area's Bob Redell and Jodi Hernandez contributed to this report.

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