WASHINGTON — Arneice Berry replaced her car only eight months ago when it was damaged again by an uninsured driver.
She and at least three other residents who live on Texas Avenue near D Street in Southeast D.C. woke up to a loud boom at around 5:30 a.m. They walked outside to see a grey pickup truck and their vehicles smashed into each other.
The most severe damage was to a white Honda CR-V where a chunk of the back was wiped out.
“The driver said he wasn’t hurt, and I was really happy about that,” said Berry. “When I asked if he had insurance, he said 'no' and I said, ‘Oh, Lord.’”
DC Police told WUSA9 the traffic was not available yet but impacted car owners said the driver was simply cited $500 for not carrying insurance.
The incident was reminiscent of a similar incident in October when a driver of a different pickup truck lost control and smashed into the vehicles owned by the same neighbors on the exact same spot.
The damage to Berry’s vehicle in October was more significant since the pickup truck landed on the hood.
“It's a little frustrating because things are calm now, but every now and then, something just comes out of nowhere,” added Berry. “We have a concern because we have kids and there's a school down a few blocks away. The good thing so far is that there has not been a seriously bodily injury or most of all, no deaths. If any of us were in our cars or outside, things could have been catastrophic.”
Toya Carmichael, whose car was also damaged, said the District Department of Transportation has conducted a few traffic studies, although the results are unclear. She said the council member has reached out for an update.
Berry would like to see traffic changes to improve safety, particularly speed bumps to slow down drivers.
According to crash data from the city, there have been 13 crashes since 2017 within two blocks of the same area.