Residents Speak Out After Car Crashes Into Concord Home

A Concord family has literally been driven out of the home after a car slammed into it overnight. The crash did major damage and almost injured one of the residents.

“All of a sudden, I heard something, another like screech, and then, [it] hit on the house like a big boom,” said Emma Holst.

Late Thursday night, Holst and her family woke up to a car crashing into her living room while she was sleeping on the couch.

“I guess I jumped up quick enough and jumped off the couch and got out of the way. I don’t know how. It was a miracle actually,” she said.

Concord police said the car may have been street racing with another car when they collided. The driver of that car was arrested on suspicion of DUI.

For the residents and the homeowner, it’s a case of déjà vu. Homeowner Frank Dodd said cars have crashed into his rental more than a half dozen times.

“I just don’t want anybody to get hurt and I’m tired of putting my house back together,” he said.

Dodd has taken his concerns to the city of Concord, prompting them to install flexible traffic posts aimed at curbing collisions. But the problems continue as cars routinely speed down Clayton Road.

“The one before this when they hit the house, there were parts of the car that ended up on the roof. And the speedometer of the car was stuck at 85 miles an hour,” he said.

Dodd said the city told him he can’t put up a barrier or concrete wall, so he placed boulders on the edge of his yard, hoping it would help.

“I put three rocks up that weigh over 1000 pounds each and that car blew right through them,” he told NBC Bay Area Friday.

Meanwhile, Holst and her family are now without a home. They have set up a GoFundMe page to help them get back on their feet. They are grateful they survived, but they were very shaken.

“The vision of me is a car coming through the wall. By the grace of God, I have no idea how I escaped out of that. It was God,” she said.