Three people, including at least one child, were hospitalized when the car flipped into a tree after it rolled down a steep hill.
TACOMA, Wash. — As Kelsie Shoup walked through her damaged front yard in Tacoma, she thanked her fortunate timing. On Sunday, a car barreled through her fence just ten minutes after she and her dog stood in that exact spot outside.
Three people inside the car, including at least one child, were taken to a local hospital and are expected to survive.
Home security cameras captured portions of the crash, which began when the car started rolling backwards down the steep hill that runs in front of Shoup’s home on 33rd Street NE.
After crashing through the fence, the car hit a large boulder, causing it to roll over before slamming into and uprooting a tree.
Shoup eventually returned home to discover the chaotic scene.
Based on what she was told, Shoup said the car’s brakes failed when the vehicle approached Browns Point Boulevard at the top of the hill.
Heading west, the elevation quickly drops at the intersection of Browns Point Blvd and 33rd St NE, before evening out at 40th Avenue NE.
The crash, which Shoup believes was a freak accident, renewed her family’s fears that something far worse could happen when reckless behavior is involved.
“Cars speed on this road and it’s concerning… It scares me so much. I’m scared to be in my front yard,” Shoup told KING 5. “Psychologically, I understand this kind of road almost invites people to speed.”
Shoup says the crash is part of a larger problem. She described the road as a “runway” for speeding drivers and said neighbors have repeatedly asked the city to address it.
“Little traffic calming measures would be really nice,” said Shoup. “There has to be some middle ground where our concerns are addressed to make our roads safer.”
There is also a school bus stop directly across from her home, a real concern for Shoup, who has young children of her own.
“If that happened during a school hour, or if we were sitting out there… we’d be talking about a funeral. We wouldn’t be talking about a fence or landscaping. All those things are replaceable. Our lives are not. I’d like the city to take those things seriously.”
A city spokesperson acknowledged KING 5’s request for comment, but said no one was available with city offices closed for Memorial Day.
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