West Memphis Family Survives SUV Crash into their Home

WEST MEMPHIS, AR - A West Memphis home was demolished by a suspected drunk driver who plowed into the house early Sunday morning. The explosive crash put two kids in the hospital and left a family homeless.

"I was asleep," says crash eyewitness Ashley Craig, "and I heard a loud explosion like a volcano exploded."

Ashley was lucky. She was sleeping in the back of the house when an SUV came crashing through the front door. 10-year-old Noel Gonzalez and 15-year-old Tony McKinny weren't so lucky.

"I saw my cousin and my step-brother," says Craig, "walking out of the room with blood on them."

The boys were on a couch in the living room when plaster, bricks, concrete and glass came raining down on them.

"The kids had a gash on the head," says their aunt, Linnie Dove. "Noel has a gash in his head. And Tony got glass in his hair and a big knot on his head. And he hurt his hand, too. And now Noel is traumatized, too scared go to to sleep."

West Memphis Police say they noticed a driver who appeared intoxicated leaving the Waffle House around 5:00 a.m. As officers began pursuing him, the driver sped up and tried to outrun the cops. He lost control of his car in the 400-block of Ok Street near Broadway and MLK Drive. He hopped a curb, sliced through several yards and slammed into a house filled with sleeping people.

"He was on the ground crying like a little baby," says Craig. "He was on the ground next to his vehicle. Police had to get him out of his car because his legs were jammed up between the seats."

Investigators say the driver is wanted on a felony warrant out of Missouri. He can now add this accident to his legal problems.

"Everybody got to find a place to live," says Dove, "because somebody made a stupid mistake."

A stupid mistake that almost cost two kids their lives. Gonzalez and McKinny were treated for cuts and bruises at Crittenden Memorial and are expected to recover.

22-year-old Maurice Jefferson, of West Memphis, is charged with DWI, fleeing from police, reckless driving, driving on a suspended license, driving without insurance and not wearing a seatbelt.

Investigators say Jefferson had been involved in a domestic dispute about five hours before the accident. Cops were called out to handle the situation.

Jefferson was seriously injured in the accident and remained in custody at The MED late Sunday.


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No Help For Tenants Leads to Lawsuit

It's not an ideal situation, but its all he's got after his car was totaled during a flash flood at his east Memphis apartment complex several weeks ago.

Clogged drains caused a part of the complex to flood, leaving his car and about a half dozen other cars on top of each other. His car valued at $7,000 was totaled.

And Armus thought for sure that the apartment management of Poplar Place Apartments, GMH Partners would help out. Until he received a call yesterday, "I was called on Tuesday morning, on Tuesday morning and informed they aren't going to do anything."

Armus' car insurance doesn't cover floods on private property leaving him with out a car.

He said the management did offer something, "I was told they were doing us a favor with a discount on his rent."

He says the proposed $500 off rent, doesn't help him or any of the other families get their cars back. Armus is filing a lawsuit against the management, claiming gross negligence.

"They just told us it basically wasn't there responsibility and that because it was a flood they weren't going to be accountable."

Flood drains on private property are the responsibility of the property owner to maintain.

Armus and his attorney William Jones say landscaping debris blocked the drains causing the flood, and when tenants called the maintenance crew, they did nothing. They think have a good case, but hopes it doesn't go that far.

"I'm hoping the owners of the apartment complex will step up and do the right thing for their tenants."

GMH management has no comment today, but did say weeks ago that this was an "Act of God".

Armus is planning on filing a suit with four other tenants at Poplar Place Apartments.


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