CHICAGO () — Mallory and John Baquero were sleeping on the upper floor of their West Town townhome early Sunday when a sudden crash shattered the quiet.
The impact was so forceful that it jolted them awake and sent tremors through the home, leaving the couple scrambling to understand what had happened.
Moments later, they discovered a car had slammed into a first-floor room, punching a large opening through the wall. John quickly gathered a tarp and other materials in an effort to cover the damage. The couple believes the driver may have accidentally hit the gas instead of the brake.
“The whole house shook. It absolutely shook. I jumped out of my bed. I looked out our window and screamed, ‘A car is in our house!'” Mallory said.
Before focusing on the damage to their Chicago home, Mallory and John said they first made sure the driver was OK. They said she did not appear to be injured.
“She seemed like an old woman on her way to church, dressed very nicely,” John said.
After the initial shock passed, their attention turned to the broken bricks, structural damage and the gaping hole left behind in the front of the property.
The West Town residence is the couple’s first home, and they have lived there only a few months. Now, unsure of the next steps, they said they are hoping the city will guide them through the process and help arrange for the vehicle to be removed.
And while the Baqueros say first responders and the alderman’s office have tried to be helpful, they were told that the car cannot be removed until there’s an inspection by the Buildings Department. They are starting to get impatient.
“We’re doing everything in our power to get this car out of our home. It’s dangerous for us, for the community,” Mallory said.
“It’s just mind-boggling that it’s taken this long,” John added.
ABC7 reached out to the city’s Buildings Department but did not immediately hear back. The Bancheros are hoping this story may prompt some action.
