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Hernando Today

SUV Veers Off Road And Into Garage

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By KYLE MARTIN

Hernando Today

Published: August 13, 2008

SPRING HILL - A Spring Hill woman was badly injured Tuesday afternoon when she drove off the road and through a garage.

The force of the impact sent concrete blocks flying fast enough to embed in the wall of the neighboring house and onto the roof of the damaged home at 6257 Spring Hill Drive.

The sport utility vehicle sheared the bumper off the car inside the garage and tore the tan garage door off its tracks. As it punched through the wall, it sideswiped a tree in the side yard and came to a stop after a head-on collision with another tree. Spring Hill firefighters found the driver, Mary J. Lewis, 63, unresponsive and had to mechanically pry her out of the vehicle.

"She must have really been going," said Kevin Carroll, Spring Hill Fire Rescue district chief.
Stormy weather prevented them from flying her by medical helicopter to a Tampa hospital. She was reported to be in critical condition.

Witnesses said the silver SUV was driving erratically and that it struck several mailboxes and a bus stop sign before the crash near Treehaven Drive, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.

It's still unclear what caused Lewis to lose control.

The damaged home has been empty since its most recent resident died. No one was home at the neighboring house either.

Oscar Kopenk is the other neighbor to the damaged house and said he heard only a vague noise. When he looked out the window he saw nothing unusual, but minutes later fire engines were lining up on Spring Hill Drive.

The extent of the damage surprised him.

"I couldn't believe it," he said.

Reporter Kyle Martin can be reached at 352-544-5271 or kmartin@hernandotoday.com.

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