We’re hearing from the Lehigh County family whose house was slammed into by an out-of-control SUV. The man who lives in the house on South Main Street tells 69 News that his son and wife were inside at the time.
Victor Martinez says his wife is still in the hospital awaiting surgery, while his 8-year-old son miraculously escaped with only scratches.
69 News met with Martinez and his eight-year-old son, Victor Martinez, Jr., at the nearby hotel they’re staying at. The family’s house is now all boarded up, looking much different without the gaping hole all across its front.
“I work too hard for my family,” an emotional Martinez said. “Everything’s for my family.”
Martinez says he is relieved his wife and son will be okay, after the SUV came flying down the road, plowing right into his home on Wednesday afternoon, on South Main Street in Alburtis.
Martinez raced home from work immediately after he received that phone call.
“I see this home is destroyed,” Martinez said. “And my wife’s inside.”
Inside his home, he found his wife, beyond the SUV that crashed. She was buried under rubble and her leg was stuck.
“I remember I took a lot of pieces of wood off, I don’t remember how many,” Martinez said.
“I’m thinking about every piece of wood that fell,” his son, Martinez, Jr., said. “Whenever there’s a piece of wood, I think about my house.”
Martinez, Jr. was inside with his mom when it happened. A scratch is still visible going down the side of his face. He says he was sitting on one couch, and was hit by the other couch that his mom was on.
“It squished me,” he said. “I saw the air conditioner hanging, but I don’t remember how I got the scrapes.”
Martinez, Jr. says his mom was passed out for a short period as he yelled to wake her.
His father tells 69 News, with the help of neighbors, he pulled his wife outside. Both were sent to the hospital, along with the driver of that blue SUV.
Martinez’s wife will undergo surgery for her broken ankle. His son was released Wednesday evening.
Police tell 69 News that the driver of the car, who was also hospitalized, will be released sometime Thursday, pending medical tests. They say she passed a preliminary breath test Wednesday at the scene and she showed no sign of being under the influence.
Neighbors have a prayer vigil set up for 6 p.m. Thursday at the Alburtis house, where they’ll raise donations for the family. A friend of the family also created a GoFundMe page.