May 17, 2008
- Portland, Oregon
Hummer hammers Hermiston house
By Rudabeh Shahbazi
HERMISTON, Ore. - A family is picking up the pieces after a Hummer slammed into their family room Saturday.
Police said the 61-year-old driver had a medical condition but did not go into details. Neighbors said he either lost consciousness or had a seizure behind the wheel. Emergency crews had to extricate him from the vehicle but said he only had a minor leg injury. "It kind of looked like a tornado ripped through," said Zack Wilson, a neighbor who came over to lend his support. One of the owners of the house, Mary Jo Guthmiller, had plans to be in the family room. She was planning to clean up after her kids' sleep-over the night before but went to the store at the last minute. "If anybody would have been in here, it wouldn't have been a good picture, because that rock flew," she said, as she surveyed the rubble. The Hummer damaged Ed Brabtam's landscaping before tearing through the orchard that separated their houses, setting a horse free. "We haven't had that much excitement in quite a while!" said Brabtam. "I look out and there was a horse on my lawn, so I went out to help her catch the horse." The Hummer landed in the Guthmiller's home, where it was stopped by their designer fireplace. "I thought that was something else," said Brabtam. Guthmiller came home to the chaotic scene. She made sure the driver, who also lives in the neighborhood, was alright and called 911. Then, she said, the reality of it all hit her. "I was pissed," she said. "I felt invaded." The family lost some of its most prized possessions, including Guthmiller's grandfather's 100-year-old violin. Other things, however, were surprisingly unscathed, like an entire cabinet full of antique china right around the corner and pictures hanging on the walls. "It could have been worse," said Guthmiller. "He could have hit a family, he could have hit anybody. Makes you thankful that no one was here." The family isn't allowed to clean up the mess until the insurance company assesses the damage. Guthmiller estimates the damage will be at least a few hundred thousand dollars and said they will also have to rebuild the second floor. The fireplace alone was worth $50,000, she said. Neighbors have been shuffling in and out, helping the family clean up in any way they can. The driver's son came over and repaired the pasture fence. |
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