NEW PORT RICHEY, Fla. — A couple from Pasco County is expressing their concerns about safety at their residence after yet another vehicle accident occurred on their property during the night.
Florida Highway Patrol records show it happened around 2:30 a.m. on Sunday, Aug. 16.
Sharon and Terry Brumfield were in the home sleeping along with their daughter, son-in-law, and 18 month and 10-year-old grandchildren.
“As far as I know, the driver was speeding down Cecilia Drive at 90 miles per hour, crashed through the fence, went airborne right here, and landed on top of that building over there,” narrated Terry Brumfield.
Florida Highway Patrol identified the driver as Matthew Justin Newman of Lutz.
The crash report shows he had an unknown license, registration, and insurance.
An examination of online court documents reveals several traffic infractions against Newman, such as lacking vehicle registration, disregarding a red light, and not following a traffic signal.
Sharon and Terry Brumfield told 8 On Your Side this isn’t the first time this type of incident has occurred.
The records indicate that in 2009, a car crashed into their living room and again in 2013, a vehicle drove onto their property; both drivers were reportedly intoxicated at the time of those incidents.
Over the years, the family has appealed to Pasco County for assistance, achieving only one modification five years ago when the county put up a guardrail in front of the house.
“The county refuses to put something like a concrete wall behind the guardrail,” explained Sharon Brumfield. “This guardrail is intended to divert a car. It’s not designed for direct collisions.”
She says this latest crash has left them with thousands of dollars in damages.
“We just got estimates, that’s all we can do and we’re going to try to borrow the money to repair what we can repair,” Sharon Brumfield explained. “The fence is $2,800. For the roof, it was $5,100. So, we’re looking at what, $8,100.”
The couple says the repeated crashes are taking a toll on their safety and their grandchildren’s sense of security.
“We’ve lived here 30 years, and this is horrible. You know, when your grandchildren don’t want to sleep in their own room and come to you and go, I don’t feel safe anymore, Mimi.”
News Channel 8 reached out to Pasco County on behalf of the Brumfields and are waiting to hear back.
The Brumfields have created a GoFundMe for assistance with repair costs. The link can be found here.
