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Car slams into Clearwater home

Driver, passenger in vehicle took off on foot
Posted at 5:47 PM, Apr 29, 2017
and last updated 2017-05-01 06:16:55-04

Clearwater Police are searching for a driver and passenger who were inside a stolen SUV, and rammed it into a house on Mary L. Road Saturday afternoon.

Christopher Bennett was standing in his yard when he saw the Jeep come flying down the street.

"And when I looked up, it was heading right toward me," he said.

The Jeep smashed the side of a van, which Bennett just bought Friday.  He tried to run, but got clipped by the SUV and fell flat on his back.

"My neighbors thought I was dead so they ran over here," said Bennett. 
 
The Jeep then slammed into the master bedroom of his home.  He says two teens inside the car got out and ran.
 
 
"It's scary, real scary---that a person has a heart like that.  The person could've been dead or injured and they didn't even care," Bennett said.
 
Bennett says he didn't fully realize what had happened until he was in an ambulance, headed to the hospital.  Thankfully, he's okay and recovering at home.
 
"Just sore.  My legs and neck are bothering me.  Real sore," said Bennett.
 
He says it's a miracle he's alive to talk about it and that no one was inside the house when the crash happened.
 
"Had angels watching over me.  I thank God for my neighbors.  The whole block came over and made sure I was okay," Bennett said.
 
Now, he's just pleading for the two people who hit his house to do the right thing.
 
"My heart really hurts.  They're teenagers.  It's never too late to get their heart and their life right.  All I want is for them to turn themselves in," he said.
 
The area of the house that was hit has been shored up for now, but engineers will have to come take a closer look Monday.  The family is counting their blessings, knowing everything could've turned out much worse.