GASTONIA, N.C. — A teenage driver in Gastonia was thrown from his SUV early Thursday after it ran off Union Road, up an embankment, and hit a home.
The driver was ejected and landed in the yard, neighbors said. That teen was alert when first responders got there. He is in a hospital in serious condition.
People inside were asleep on the other side of the home. They were not injured.
A resident in the neighborhood said she’s concerned about the car speeding on their street.
Neighbor Dawn Cloer said, “How fast do you have to go to do all this? It’s unreal.”
The side of her next-door neighbor’s home was crushed like a tin can.
“It’s totally terrifying,” Cloer said.
The images from overnight were startling.
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“It was surreal,” Cloer said. “I mean, no one could believe that was the situation.”
She said it appears the teen driver was tossed from the SUV.
“He was just rolling around on the ground,” Cloer said. “I felt so bad for that child.”
His parents were on the scene soon after the crash.
Cloer said he talked to them before paramedics took him away.
“Just by the grace of God, he isn’t dead,” Cloer said.
Police haven’t determined how fast he was going, but it was clear it was faster than the 45-mph speed limit.
Police were also stunned that an SUV traveled over big barriers, causing, so much damage.
They hope to get information from the wrecked SUV.
“There are several mechanisms we use to determine the speed and the force of impact,” said Sgt. Dan Lane, Gastonia Police Department.
Officers used a drone above the home to survey the damage.
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