SUV Slams into Home in Banning, Nearly Misses Residents

A woman was seriously injured after losing control of her SUV and slamming into a home and garage in Banning Tuesday.

Two homes in the 5400 block of Breckenridge Avenue were red tagged because of the crash that was reported at 10:14 a.m.

Witnesses said they saw a black Lexus SUV speeding through the neighborhood just before the collision.

"She was driving about 45 mph, hit trash cans, didn't slow down," Craig Jamison said.

The driver slammed into a home, tearing off a chunk of the front bedroom.

Kay Palotay, who lives in the home, had just walked out of the damaged room moments before the Lexus came barreling through it.

"I just heard the house shake and a big crash," he said. "I feel lucky to be alive."

After striking Palotay's home of 10 years, the SUV catapulted off the front lawn before slamming into the side of the home next door.

"I thought a trash truck fell over on the house, that's how loud it was," Gary Ackerman said. "It shook the whole house."

He couldn't believe his eyes when he walked outside and saw the Lexus wedged sideways against his garage wall. He rushed to the unconscious driver's side, who was trapped in the SUV, and tried to help her.

"I went around the side to get to her but I couldn't get to her she, she took out the gate but the car was so crushed," Ackerman said.

Firefighters extricated the woman and took her to a nearby hospital.

The displaced homeowners wanted to know why the crash happened but were grateful no one else was injured.

The condition of the driver was unknown.