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A day after home surveillance cameras captured a car barreling over the curb, crashing through a brick and steel fence and into the garage of a home in Riverside County, authorities announced that the driver was a 14-year-old girl experiencing a mental health emergency.
The crash occurred around 3:45 p.m. in the 400 block of Madrid Street in Hemet, according to a news release from the Hemet Police Department.
Footage of the crash shows a dark-colored four-door Honda Accord plowing through the home’s front yard fence and into the yard before coming to a violent stop when it hits the garage.
Just 30 minutes before the crash, police received a call about a 14-year-old girl experiencing a mental health episode in the 3000 block of Sydney Street.
“While officers were responding to the location, the juvenile drove her sister’s vehicle away from the residence while her sister was in the backseat,” police said.
The crash occurred just moments later.
Surveillance cameras on the home captured the teen’s sister jumping out of the back passenger-side door seconds after the vehicle came to a stop. With her arms in the air, she’s heard screaming as she flees the scene on foot.
Moments later, the teen is also seen emerging from the back passenger-side door of the car. She slowly walks through the yard, nearly tripping over some of the debris caused by the crash as she walked away from the home.
Police later found the 14-year-old and her sister at the residence on Sydney Street.
“Based on the investigation and statements obtained, the juvenile was detained and placed on a 72-hour mental health involuntary hold per 5150 of the Welfare and Institutions Code,” police explained.
While no one was injured during the crash, the homeowner, who said their home has been crashed into on three other occasions, was left with a shattered front yard fence and damaged garage.
No further details were provided.
Anyone with information about the incident is encouraged to contact Sgt. Brent Christianson at 951-765-2400 or Bchristianson@hemetca.gov.