Driver Sought After Car Slams Into West Babylon Home
WEST BABYLON, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) -- Investigators said they have an important clue in the search for a driver who crashed a car into a house on Long Island.
The car lost control off of Little East Neck Road in West Babylon around 8 a.m. Monday.
The driver had run a stop sign before slamming into a backyard fence and then crashed into the back of a home on Phoenix Road, police said.
A woman was home at the time. She was not injured.
The car went into a downstairs apartment. A building inspector said part of the walls are buckled and crews worked to shore it up so the house didn't have to be condemned, CBS2's Carolyn Gusoff reported.
The driver ran off on foot, but police said they found an inmate bracelet that suspects wear while in jail inside the car.
This is the third car to hit a house in the area in the last six months.
In August, a car plowed through the home across the street, cracking the foundation and killing the driver.
Next door, in November, a car landed in a master bedroom.
A teen was also killed nearby on a bicycle.
Neighbors said they are fed up and have been asking for speed control for years.
"They take off. They think it's the Long Island Expressway," resident Sondra Cochran said.
"They go too fast, drive too fast," another resident said. "It's just that simple. Drive the speed limit.
Town of Babylon officials say they're aware of speeding complaints on the 30 mph town road, but are barred from installing a signal due to low traffic volume. Single-car accidents, they add, rarely have to do with traffic devices.
Some neighbors agree.
"Cars don't drive themselves, and yes, responsible driving is definitely part of it," said Tom Lawson, of West Babylon.
Suffolk Police are still searching for the driver.
It is unclear if icy road conditions played a role in the crash.