PHOENIX (KTVK/KPHO/Gray News) – Left battered and bruised, an Arizona couple say they are lucky to be alive after a car plowed through their home just before they sat down for dinner.
Surveillance video captured the chaotic scene Friday night near 39th Avenue and Thomas Road in Phoenix. In the video, Sabrina Rivera and Marcus Holmberg appear to be preparing to eat dinner as Rivera closes the curtains, AZ Family reports.
“I saw the Mustang come right at us,” Rivera said. “I thought we were all going to die, to be honest.”
Seconds later, the car barreled through the couple’s home, coming inches from running them over.
“Everything is destroyed. It just happened so fast,” Holmberg said.
The couple’s home is now filled with rubble and debris, and the damage from the crash extended throughout. The front of their home is gone and replaced with boards. Cracks were found in the living room, and the entire back window was knocked out of its frame and ended up in the backyard.
With the destruction, the couple say they are lucky to walk away with their lives.
“I can’t hold anything heavy in my right arm,” Rivera said.
“They did a CT scan on my head. They did see a fracture, a light one, so it’s just sore. Other than that, we are OK. This was an act of God. Someone was watching over us,” Holmberg said.
The pair weren’t the only ones in the car’s path. The video shows their dogs were also in the way, but fortunately, they are doing well and are taking it easy.
“They’re a little playful now. They’re sore, but they should be OK,” Rivera said.
The couple say they often see speeding and reckless driving along 39th Avenue and hope the City of Phoenix does something soon, as they worry something like this could happen again.
“Hopefully, speed bumps because a stop sign won’t help,” Rivera said.
The couple set up a GoFundMe to help cover the costs to repair their home. They are trying to find somewhere else to live as they figure out what the next steps are.
Police arrested 18-year-old Valentin Espinoza in connection with the crash. He is charged with driving under the influence, criminal damage and endangerment.
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