Sarah Mazariegos of Oak Cliff was awakened at 3 a.m. on Tuesday by the sound of what she thought was a gunshot in her house, the WFAA reported.
Mazariegos recalled only hearing “loud screams.” Her daughter had woken up screaming, causing the mother of two to panic.
Mazariegos’ home in North Oak Cliff had been struck by a man driving a minivan. The automobile dragged a stop sign from the corner of 12th Street and Clinton Avenue into the house, destroying half of the porch, knocking over one of the house’s support beams, and crumbling part of the foundation.
“We heard a loud boom, and there were several,” said Mazariegos. “He first hit the stop sign, then the porch, then the house, so there were several loud booms.”
Her brother and sister were staying the night at the residence since Mazariegos’ husband was out of town for business.
When her brother awoke following the aftermath, he too began screaming.
He was flung more than 20 feet from the couch he was sleeping on and sustained a concussion and bruises.
Before the police and paramedics arrived, Mazariegos said her neighbors helped the driver out of the van.
The driver was transported to the hospital with minor injuries, but Dallas Police did not provide information on his condition or if he would be arrested or charged.
Although her family is okay, Mazariegos said she no longer feels safe in the home.
According to the mother, who has lived in the house for nearly seven years, this is the second time she has witnessed such an event.
Mayor Pro Tem Chad West, the Dallas city councilman for District 1, sent an email to the residents in the area addressing the issue.
Councilman West revealed that 81 crashes occurred on 12th Street from Hampton Street to Polk between 2019 and last month.
In his email, West laid out a plan for neighbors that includes an immediate increase in Dallas Police Department patrols and enforcement in the neighborhood and the formation of a task force that will host community meetings to examine the problem and solicit feedback for short- and long-term solutions.
Councilman West hopes to have the task force team in place by next week. Anyone in the neighborhood with questions or comments should contact Ashley Long at [email protected] until the task force is formed and someone is chosen to manage correspondence.
