ROANOKE, Va. – A teenage boy is charged in a car crash that seriously damaged a home on Routt Road Northwest in Roanoke on Saturday night.
Neighbor William Hankins, who has lived in the area for 40 years, expressed concerns about speeding in the neighborhood.
“Ain’t nobody slowing down,” Hankins said.
Hankins realized something was wrong when flashing lights and sirens flooded the street.
“Because it was late at night, I seen all the lights and I was like, what’s going on, so I came outside and was like, what is going on,” he said.
Emergency crews rushed to Routt Road Northwest near William Fleming High School around midnight on Saturday. When they arrived, they found a black SUV wedged into the front of a house. The 16-year-old driver and his passenger were rushed to the hospital, but there is no word on their conditions.
The homeowners are not allowed to live in the house due to the extensive damage. The teenage driver has been charged with reckless driving.
Hankins hopes to see drivers slow down and an increased police presence in the area. However, after four decades of living there, he remains skeptical.
“Slow them down. But that ain’t going to happen. Like I said, I’ve been here 40 years, and it’s always been a heavily trafficked street and they flyin’ down the street,” he said.
Hankins said, “They fly… look, we had one over on that side as well. As a matter of fact, we had one on that pole and then someone came through there and hit that pole.”
He worries about the safety of children in the neighborhood.
“Kids running around, you don’t know what could have happened,” he said.