Portland’s motor vehicle menace spread to someone’s living room in the Lents neighborhood in the early morning hours of December 30th. According to a post on Nextdoor shared by Portlander Lucy Dao yesterday, her family is now homeless because a driver piloted their Mercedes SUV into the front of their home.
“A drunk driver and three passengers drove their SUV through our fence and a tree into our living room, bathroom and barely missing my brother’s bedroom right where the head of his bed lay. Luckily no one was injured and no one was in the living room when it happened,” states a post on GoFundMe where the family has raised over $3,200 so far.
Photos show that the car came to rest inside the home and did extensive damage to several walls. The driver and passengers allegedly fled the scene and the family faces thousands of dollars in repairs and months of alternative housing.
According to the Portland Police, the home is located at the corner of SE Harold and 99th in the Lents neighborhood (see above). Given the photos, it’s likely the SUV driver was headed eastbound on Harold prior to slamming into the house. There’s a concrete, planted median (home to tiny Mill Lents Park) one block east of the house and the speed limit on this section of SE Harold is 25 mph.
The victims of this vehicular assault are left with trauma, their lives in disarray, and so far, there’s been no justice for the person who did this to them. “The negligence of their actions is abhorrent,” Dao wrote on Nextdoor. Her brother and his girlfriend were inside the home when it happened and she feels they are lucky to be alive.
“I believe there needs to be justice served here for the cowards that ran away from this disaster. So if you or anyone you know hear anything at all about this incident that would help us locate these people, please please reach out.”
Police responded to the scene and officers towed the car and helped Dao find a contractor to board up the house. The Portland Police Bureau told BikePortland this morning the car was not reported stolen and the case remains under investigation. If you have information about this, call PPB non-emergency at (503) 823-3333 and reference case number PP23-335352.