A local mother has turned her damaged home into a billboard against drinking and driving.
Angela Wells-Coleman lives on A1A in Callahan, she says she has spray-painted her home to remind people the dangers of drinking and getting behind the wheel of a vehicle.
"I have painted my house three times and never once has someone come and said 'I don't like the color of your home'; I feel the only people that would be concerned is someone that would drink and drive," said Wells-Coleman.
Wells-Coleman says her home was severely damaged back in December when a suspected drunken driver crashed into her mini-van then her home.
"Originally when I heard the noise, I thought a robber had busted my door in," says Wells-Coleman.
She says then she heard people talking and saw headlights, realizing it was a crash that had woken her up.
"There was someone sleeping right here," Wells-Coleman says pointing to the corner of the home that the driver had crashed through.
Wires are now hanging out of the corner of her home, and she showed us dozens of cracks throughout the bricks from the crash impact.
She also tells us that she was without water after the crash.
The FHP report says the truck plowed through the yard, into a mini-van in their driveway before crashing into the home.
"It's very frightening, his impact got slowed twice, if the impact had not been slowed twice, I don't know what would have happened," says Wells-Coleman.
The report also shows that the driver in the crash was 62- year-old Michael Thompson and suspected of drinking and driving.
Florida Highways Patrol estimates $1,000 of damage to the mini-van, $15,000 to the home, and $10,000 to the dark-colored Dodge Ram the driver had struck.
Wells-Coleman says she is having trouble getting her home owners insurance to pay for the damages and the driver was only insured for $10,000.
She says in the meantime she will continue to use her home to remind others what can happen if you drink and drive.
Cox Media Group
