2 days ago
Dayton family recovering after driver crashes into living room
DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) — A family is putting their life back together after a driver crashed through their front door and into their living room.
When first responders arrived on scene around 2:30 a.m. Saturday morning, they found a truck lodged into the living room of the Donlow's home on Arlene Avenue.
Nobody was hurt, but police suspect the driver was under the influence when the crash happened. That driver, who is now in custody, also hit two other cars in the process.
The family says it's been a long few days recovering from that crash, but said this accident that demolished part of their home is not entirely a bad thing.
'The next thing we heard was a big boom, and we just hit the floor,' said Kimberly Donlow, homeowner. 'There was a vehicle in our living room.'
Kimberly says she's been unable to work for days without pay, since she works from home and her workspace was destroyed, along with medical equipment she uses as well.
But that morning, she remembers seeing the driver get out of the truck in her home and profusely apologizing for what had happened. Kimberly also remembers not being angry in the slightest.
'We're calm, we're not upset,' said Kimberly. 'We're calm because we walked away.'
Since the crash, the entirety of their living room has been gutted and cleaned out, along with nearly everything in it. The Donlows say insurance can only replace some of it.
But despite it all, they're keeping a positive outlook, saying that this is instead an opportunity for the person who hit their home to turn their life around.
'If you need help, you need help. Why put somebody in jail if you need that help?' said Kimberly.
Police are currently working on filing charges against the driver, but none have been announced yet.
When the driver does appear in court, the Donlows say they will be there on the driver's behalf.
'We can't be mad at him, upset or whatever,' said Dwayne Donlows, homeowner. 'Nobody lost their life. Material things, whatever got damaged, those things can be replaced.'
'It's a blessing and a testimony to what's going on in our life and what's going on in his life,' said Kimberly. 'The world is already rough as it is, so the best thing we can do is just pray and keep going.'
The Donlows have a GoFundMe set up to help pay for expenses surrounding further repairs to their home and items that were destroyed. Click here to learn more.
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