Fox Station KTVU reports that an 18-year-old man driving under the influence of alcohol was arrested after he crashed into an apartment building and fled the scene. One child is recovering from minor injuries, while nine people are now without a home.
According to a statement by Stacy Shih, chief public relations officer for the San Jose Police Department, the crash happened at approximately 1:45 a.m. on Thursday, September 22, in the 500 block of Crabapple Way near the intersection of Senter Road and Sylvandale Avenue.
Authorities have identified the suspect driver as 18-year-old Daniel Perez of San Jose.
Investigators say that Perez was driving a silver four-door sedan with two children in the car when he lost control of the vehicle. Narrowly missing a traffic pole, the car clipped a parked car, jumped the curb, and crashed into an apartment building.
Residents were awakened by the crash and looked out to see the sedan lodged into the exterior wall of an apartment. Perez immediately fled the scene, leaving the two children still in the vehicle behind. San Jose Police officers responding to the scene found Perez a short time later.
Both children in the sedan suffered minor injuries. One was taken to an area hospital to be checked out, while the second child was treated at the scene. They are both now safely back with family members.
Thankfully, residents inside the apartment building were asleep at the time of the crash, and no one inside the building was injured.
The building suffered extensive damage, including broken windows, split wooden beams, and wrecked walls. City officials rendered the structure unsafe, leaving two families – a total of nine people – with no place to live. Authorities are not sure how long the families will be without a home while the building is repaired. The Red Cross is assisting the families.
Perez was taken into custody and booked into the Santa Clara County Jail on the charges of DUI, hit-and-run, and two counts of child endangerment.
