Media Center
Related Topics
Related Stories
Joe Karaback was awakened late Friday night by a loud crash.
"It was an awful noise," he said. "It was a big bang."
At first, he thought his wife, Carolyn, fell.
But a car being pursued by police had just drifted onto their property, knocking down azalea bushes and scraping the brickwork on their house in the 300 block of Crestline Drive, Willow Street.
The pursuit began when Southern Regional Police Officer Steve Yinger spotted Rodger Clinard Jr., 20, driving too fast on Willow Street Pike North in Pequea Township at about 10:30 p.m. Friday, said Southern Regional Police Cpl. John Michener.
When Yinger tried to stop him, Clinard fled in his Buick LaSabre into West Lampeter Township, Michener said.
Clinard then jumped out while driving on Crestline Drive and sped away on foot, Michener said. But the Buick kept rolling, and struck the Karabacks' home and a dogwood tree on their lawn.
"He jumped out and away he went," said one of the Karabacks' neighbors, who spotted Yinger as he fled.
"[Clincard] ran because he thought he had a warrant, which he did not," Michener said.
Police from Southern Regional and West Lampeter Township found Clinard trying to make a phone call at a business in the 2100 block of Willow Street Pike at 12:30 a.m. Saturday, Michener said.
Clinard, who lives in the 400 block of West James Street, faces charges of speeding, driving with a suspended license, recklessly endangering another person, hit and run, and fleeing and eluding, Michener said.
"There was trash all over," Carolyn Karaback said.
The married couple of 65 years said car parts and broken branches were strewn about in their yard and front walkway Friday night.
While most of the wreckage was cleared Saturday, tire treads from the speeding car were streaked across the Karabacks' driveway and lawn.
The Karabacks weren't injured in the crash, but were upset Saturday, knowing they'd have to call their insurance company Monday to get a damage estimate.
"I couldn't get ahold of them today," Joe Karaback said.
E-mail: jrutter@lnpnews.com; pfranz@lnpnews.com
(561)
