‘It was so devastating’: Stolen car crashes into front of DeKalb home; driver runs away

Carolyn Burgess surveys the damage after a stolen car crashed into her Browns Mill Ferry Road home Friday morning.

Credit: JOHN SPINK / JSPINK@AJC.COM

Credit: JOHN SPINK / JSPINK@AJC.COM

Carolyn Burgess surveys the damage after a stolen car crashed into her Browns Mill Ferry Road home Friday morning.

A 71-year-old woman woke up Friday morning to the sound of a car crashing through the front of her DeKalb County home.

“It was so devastating, the sound. Like the house was tumbling in,” Carolyn Burgess told AJC.com. “I couldn’t look out the window right away. All I could do was get myself together.”

A blue Ford SUV was stolen a short time before the driver crashed into the front of this Browns Mill Ferry Home. JOHN SPINK / JSPINK@AJC.COM

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DeKalb police said the Ford SUV was stolen shortly before the driver crashed into Burgess’ home on Browns Mill Ferry Road near Lithonia about 8 a.m., taking out the corner of her garage and her front porch.

“As he was trying to escape, the car came into my yard, driveway and knocked down the garage, and as you can see it’s collapsed,” Burgess said.

The driver hopped out and ran off before police got there.

A stolen Ford SUV is towed away after it crashed Friday morning. JOHN SPINK / JSPINK@AJC.COM

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Burgess said that even after officers and EMS arrived to help her out of her damaged home, she was wary of leaving her bedroom on the second floor.

“I was afraid to come downstairs because I didn’t know if someone was in my house,” she said. “I’m still feeling sick inside.”

The incident is under investigation.

—Please return to AJC.com for updates.

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