Police investigating after truck crashes into east-end home; 13-year-old arrested
Tina Cucuz and her father were both home at the time of the crash late Friday morning, but neither were injured
Working from home late Friday morning, Tina Cucuz was suddenly jolted by a massive bang inside her east Hamilton home.
Cucuz dropped everything and ran downstairs to find out what had happened, only to see a licence plate — attached to a Dodge Ram pickup truck — poking out from a gaping hole in her basement recreation room.
“It was like an explosion,” said Cucuz, describing the impact of the vehicle colliding with her Dunsmure Road home, which she lives in with her father. “It didn’t feel quite like an earthquake, but I knew something had happened and it didn’t sound good.”
Downstairs, Cucuz found the recreation room partially destroyed, with chunks of cinder block, brick and drywall strewn across the living area.
Luckily, her father had stepped out of the room and gone to the kitchen just moments earlier.
“He could have been hit,” said Cucuz, standing on the sidewalk outside her house. Neither she or her father were injured in the incident, however both were “shaken up” by the situation.
Hamilton police told The Spectator that officers were called to the scene near the corner of Dunsmure Road and Beland Avenue North for reports that a truck had crashed through a fence around 11 a.m. on Friday.
The Spectator visited the scene, where a pickup truck could be seen sticking out from the side of the home. Minutes later, the vehicle was removed from the structure, as a lone driver backed it out of the yard.
Inside the home, the TV was still on.
The truck appeared to have crashed through the neighbouring property on the corner of Dunsmure and Beland, destroying their fence on both sides, before coming to rest at the side of the Cucuz home.
Police allege the truck involved in the crash had been stolen. A 13year-old girl has been arrested in connection to the incident. The investigation is ongoing, noted police, who did not confirm if more suspects were being sought or any other details.
Neighbour Margaret Kennedy told The Spectator that she was standing in her kitchen when she saw the truck speeding southbound down Beland just moments before the crash.
“They were flying,” said Kennedy, standing in her backyard. “And just maybe 30 seconds later, this happened.”
Kennedy said she then looked outside, only to see the pickup truck sitting in her yard and three youths fleeing the scene. A number of her bushes — along with her fence — were destroyed in the incident.
Cucuz told The Spectator that the crash has forced her and her father out of the home, with the pair now having to stay with family while the damage is repaired.
The city confirmed via email that a building inspector visited the site Friday, but had nothing to report as they are “still assessing” the damage.
“That one simple act of stupidity has created such a mess,” said Cucuz. “I’m really disappointed with the state of this world.”
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It was like an explosion. It didn’t feel quite like an earthquake, but I knew something had happened and it didn’t sound good.
TINA CUCUZ RESIDENT OF DAMAGED HOME