A Falls Township woman is being charged after her vehicle sped through an intersection and crashed into a home on Sunday morning, narrowly missing two young children inside, police confirmed to LevittownNow.com.
Advertisements
Stephanie Coen, 48, was taken into custody at the scene by the Falls Township Police Department on suspicion of intoxication. She was later charged with DUI, reckless endangerment, operating a vehicle not equipped with an ignition interlock, reckless driving, and a stop sign violation, police said.
Credit: Falls Township police
According to an affidavit of probable cause, police responded to a report of a vehicle striking a home on the unit block of Thornridge Drive in the Levittown section of the township at 9:45 a.m.
Witnesses told officers that a blue Volkswagen Tiguan was traveling down Tamarack Lane at a high rate of speed. The vehicle failed to slow down at the Thornridge Drive intersection, crossed the front lawn, and slammed through the front of the single-story residence, according to police.
Advertisements
The Volkswagen came to a stop inside the home against the dining room table, authorities said.
Two adults and two children, ages 3 and 6, were inside the home at the time of the collision.
Advertisements
Barry Adams, who was visiting his daughter and grandchildren to bring them breakfast before a planned trip to the pool, told this news organization the force of the crash threw the family.
“It just happened so fast,” Adams said, noting that the young children were pushed out of harm’s way as the vehicle breached the house.
Authorities reported no injuries to the residents or the driver.
Advertisements
Responding officers noted that Coen, who lives nearby, had glassy eyes and said she could not remember all the details of the crash. She told police she lost control after dodging something in the roadway.
According to police, Coen’s driver’s license required her to operate a vehicle equipped with an alcohol interlock device due to a prior DUI conviction in New Jersey.
Advertisements
Officers did not find an interlock device in the Volkswagen, police said.
Coen claimed New Jersey authorities allowed her to remove it early but did not present documentation to prove the claim, police said.
Advertisements
Coen reportedly told officers she had not taken any drugs or alcohol beyond coffee, Adderall, and a nighttime sleeping pill. Additionally, she stated she did not believe a sobriety test was needed.
An officer wrote in the affidavit that Coen was “hyperfixated” on going to work and offered to back her damaged vehicle out of the residence so she could leave.
Advertisements
Witnesses at the scene told LevittownNow.com the woman repeatedly remarked that she had to be at work by 10 a.m.
While being transported to the police station, Coen told an officer she had consumed alcohol the previous night and expressed concern that it would show up on a blood test, according to court records.
Members of the Levittown-Fairless Hills Rescue Squad drew blood from Coen for testing.
Police said laboratory results are pending.
Advertisements
Falls Township Fire Marshal Rich Dippolito confirmed the residence sustained serious structural damage and was uninhabitable.
A contractor was called to the property to board up the opening and secure the structure, while a tow crew extracted the Volkswagen from the home.
Levittown Fire Company No. 1 also responded to the scene to assist.
Editor’s Note: All individuals arrested or charged with a crime are presumed innocent until proven guilty. The story was compiled using information from police and public court documents.
Advertisements
Original Story:
A car slammed through a house and narrowly avoided the young children inside.
Shortly before 9 a.m. Sunday, a Volkswagen sedan traveled across the front lawn of the single-story home on Thornridge Drive at the intersection with Tamarack Lane and went into the front of the residence.
Barry Adams was visiting his daughter and grandchildren at the home when the vehicle breached the front of the residence. Adams had just brought the family breakfast from Dunkin’ ahead of a planned trip to the community pool.
Advertisements
“It just happened so fast,” Adams said, noting that the children were pushed out of harm’s way as the vehicle collided with the front of the house.
No injuries were reported for either the residents or the driver, according to authorities.
Witnesses at the scene stated that the female driver repeatedly remarked after the crash that she had to be at work by 10 a.m.
Advertisements
Falls Township police took the woman into custody at the scene. No charges had been filed as of early Sunday afternoon.
Falls Township Fire Marshal Rich Dippolito responded to the scene and confirmed the residence sustained serious structural damage.
A contractor was brought to the property to secure the structure and board up the opening left by the sedan, while a tow truck crew extracted the vehicle from the home.
In addition to police and the fire marshal, Levittown Fire Company No. 1 responded to the scene.
Correction: Levittown Fire Company No. 1, not Levittown Fire Company No. 2 responded to the scene.
