A 68-year-old woman suffered minor injuries when the driver of a speeding BMW crashed through a cinder block wall into the bedroom of her La Puente house.
The crash was reported at 11:50 p.m. Sunday at 1003 Molinar Avenue at Amar Road, Lt. James Long of the Industry sheriff's station said.
Grace Fierro had just gone to bed and her husband was watching TV in the living room. The couple has lived at the home for nearly four decades.
She described waking up on the floor, dazed and unsure of what just happened.
"I was on the ground and trying to focus because it was so dusty in there," said Fierro. "It took me a while to realize what happened.
"I thought it was an earthquake, the way my bedroom looks."
A black BMW sedan had hit a curb and went "a little airborne" to slam into the cinder black wall the way it did, Long said. The crash forced Fierro's bed against the door to her bedroom, trapping her inside.
News
Top news of the day
"The police man came to the window and said, 'Go to the front door,'" she said. "I said, 'I can't get out of here.'"
The officer and Fierro's husband pushed in the door so she could climb on the bed and get out of the room.
Fierro finally saw the car and called out to see whether anyone was inside. By that time, the driver had left the scene. The Fierros reported the sound of footsteps on the roof, possibly the driver running away after the crash.
No arrests were reported early Monday.
Fierro suffered a bump on the head, but said it could have been worse. Firefighters told her that the metal frame and headboard of her bed likely helped protect her. The block wall and a tree likely slowed the car, too.
Neighbors said it's not the first time a driver has crashed into the house.
"It just happened months ago," said a surprised Rosendo Ponce. "Three times already."
The Fierros said they're thinking about constructing steel barriers on the side of the home to protect their house.
