Car crashes into Colorado Springs home, driver arrested
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- George Carroll III was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence after allegedly crashing his car into a home Monday night in Colorado Springs. The incident occurred near the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs campus. Neighbors intervened to prevent Carroll from leaving the scene of the crash, which resulted in no injuries.
According to police, Carroll allegedly tried to flee the area after losing control of his vehicle and crashing into the private residence. Police say Carroll was driving under the influence when the crash happened. Neighbors then stepped in to stop him from fleeing the site of the crash.
Neighbors described the scene as unusual and concerning. Tim Terry, who owns the house next door to the one that was struck, said, “Not every day somebody rams their vehicle in someone's home.”
Terry also expressed relief that his former tenants, a family with two young children, had recently moved out. “They have two little kids. They moved out. If they were here, playing, it could have been way worse,” Terry said.
Another neighbor, Mike Heritage, says he heard the impact. “It sounded like an explosion to my left. So my wife ran out, saw a car, basically in the side of, our neighbor's house,” Heritage said. He spoke with the person who lives in the damaged home shortly after the crash. “He said he was downstairs and that he he heard the crash come in and the car came within ten feet of him. And I said, you're lucky to be alive,” Heritage added.
Parker Humphrey and his wife were walking their dog when they witnessed the accident. When sirens approached, Carroll allegedly attempted to run away. Humphrey, along with other neighbors, chased after him. “I ran with him with a couple other great neighbors, who kind of just ran with him. We didn't really grab him or anything. We just kind of talked to him and told him to stop and try to take a breath and eventually he stopped and the cops came and it was great for us,” Humphrey said.
Neighbors reported that the street leading to their area has a deceptively sharp turn, which has been the site of several accidents in the past. Terry voiced concerns about the recurring issue. “This has happened many a times. This curve here, people have flipped over. My biggest concern is someone eventually might get hurt,” Terry said.
Once everyone's safety was confirmed, Humphrey said his main focus was “for him to not make it worse.”
KRDO13 attempted to reach the homeowner, but no one was home.
In a statement to KRDO13, the Colorado Springs Police Department released the following statement:
"CSPD encourages community members to be good witnesses, not direct participants. Approaching or attempting to detain a suspect can place themselves and others at unnecessary risk, and responding officers may not immediately know who is involved when they arrive on scene. Therefore, for their safety and the safety of others, we discourage community members from confronting or attempting to detain suspects. Doing so can escalate an already dangerous situation, and responding officers may have limited information when they arrive, making it difficult to immediately distinguish those involved."
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