Two hospitalized after car crashes into couple’s yard, strikes tree in Monroe

MONROE — Longtime Monroe resident Tammy Fraley said the car that crashed into the front yard of her home at 860 North Garver Road narrowly missed her and her husband, both of whom were inside the home Sunday afternoon.

Fraley said she heard "this big kaboom" and initially believed a vehicle had struck the home.

The car, a 2-door 1996 Chevrolet Monte Carlo heading east on the road, instead had veered across the double yellow line and off the left side of the road, traveling through yards and clipping the back end of a vehicle in a neighboring driveway before tearing across Fraley's front yard and slamming into a tree.

“I immediately went into the house and called 911 for help ’cause I could tell that they were seriously injured,” she told this news outlet.

Once on scene, emergency crews had to cut the man out of the vehicle. Both of the vehicle's occupants were taken to Atrium Medical Center to be treated for their injuries, the extent of which are unknown at this time, according to Monroe Police Department.

Fraley, who has lived on the the quiet, short stretch of rural roadway for four decades, said speeding motorists have become “a tremendous problem” over the years

The 35 MPH speed limit is something Fraley said is “way too high” for the road.

“People come down the road and they just floor it,” she said. “They think it’s just a raceway from corner to corner, for some reason.”

That has led to numerous vehicles veering off the road into ditches, knocking over mailboxes, damaging guard rails and plowing through residents’ front yards, Fraley said.

“Something needs to be done out here,” she said.

It was too early to tell if drugs, alcohol or excessive speed were believed to be factors in the crash, according to police.

INITIAL REPORT

A crash in Monroe initially trapped two people inside.

The incident occurred around 2:45 p.m. in the 800 block of North Garver Road.

Police and fire departments are on the scene and helicopter transport is not available due to adverse weather conditions.

One person was removed from the vehicle is being taken by ambulance to Atrium Medical Center in Middletown, according to emergency scanner traffic.

Emergency crews are working to extricate the second person from the vehicle.