Man crashes into house

Wednesday, Aug. 6, 2003 | 9:22 a.m.

A 57-year-old Henderson man was airlifted to University Medical Center's Trauma Center after plunging his car through a white block wall and into a house off Valle Verde and High View drives late Tuesday.

Henderson police and firefighters reached the accident in the gated La Mancha community about 10:30 p.m., Henderson Police Department spokesman Shane Lewis said.

Larry M. Rio was trapped in his red 1991 Buick sedan in the rear of the house. It took rescuers about 15 minutes to remove him, Henderson Battalion Chief Ron Hague said.

"The roof of the car had to be cut off before we could get him out," Hague said.

Firefighters working to rescue Rio said they had never seen a car go so far inside a house, Hague said.

Rio was listed in serious condition, a UMC nursing supervisor said early today.

A couple living in the home were in another room at the time of the accident and escaped injury, Hague said.

The auto missed a light pole by inches, Lewis said.

It appeared that the vehicle landed in a bathroom. A sunken tub was visible from the gaping hole in the home's wall.

Witnesses told police the car's driver was traveling east on High View at a high rate of speed. There is a traffic light at the T-shaped intersection of Valle Verde and High View.

Henderson police are investigating the accident. Alcohol may have been a factor, Lewis said.

Police investigators could not find any signs of braking, and there were no skid marks on the roadway, Lewis said. "It appears that speed and alcohol are believed to be factors in this accident," he said.

The car was extracted from the house about 1:30 a.m., Battalion Chief Jeff Lytle said this morning.

"It came out pretty easily," Lytle said. "In fact, it slid straight out. Didn't hit any studs or anything."

Building inspector deemed the structure unsafe. The family stayed the night at a hotel, Lytle said.