Neighbors on a quiet St. Petersburg block woke up to fire engines and chaos early today after a stolen Honda Accord barreled straight through a living room and set the house on fire. The two people inside escaped without a scratch, but the driver bolted and has yet to be found.
What happened
According to the St. Petersburg Police Department, the crash happened around 3 a.m. on 14th Avenue South when the Honda left the roadway, slammed into the front of the house and burst into flames. Police told Tampa Free Press the car had been reported stolen overnight from the 2100 block of 9th Avenue South. Investigators say the driver ran off on foot after the impact and has not yet been identified.
First responders on scene
St. Pete Fire Rescue crews rushed to the 4400 block of 14th Avenue South just before 3 a.m. and quickly knocked down the flames that had pushed into the living room, as reported by FOX 13 News. The outlet reports the two occupants were not injured, although the house itself did not fare as well. Officials declared the structure uninhabitable and contacted the Red Cross to help the suddenly displaced residents. Firefighters and officers stayed on scene into the morning as the investigation continued.
Investigation underway
The St. Petersburg Police Department has labeled the case active and ongoing and is urging anyone with information to come forward, according to Tampa Free Press. Detectives have not released a description of the suspect or any potential motive. They are still working to understand what led the stolen Honda off the road and straight into the home.
Local context
This is not the first time in recent weeks that a St. Pete home has taken a direct hit from a vehicle. On May 27, a teenager behind the wheel of an SUV lost control and crashed into a residence in the city. The teen driver was injured, while everyone inside the home walked away unharmed, according to MySuncoast. Officials have not linked the two incidents, but car-into-house crashes have become an intermittent safety concern for residents.
Anyone with tips, surveillance video or other information about Monday morning’s stolen-car crash is asked to contact the St. Petersburg Police Department. Authorities say they will share more details as the investigation moves forward.
