An SUV crashed into the side of a brick house Saturday afternoon on the corner of Quebec Street and East 14th Avenue.
The accident left a large hole that looked into the home’s basement, right next to its garage. Nobody was injured, and there were no gasoline or natural gas leaks. One telephone and cable TV line was knocked down but quickly taken care of.
Denver Fire Department assistant chief Jeff Mees said the driver, who was identified only as male, lost control of his vehicle and hit the accelerator when he thought he was hitting the brakes.
The home’s lone resident, 62-year-old George Ertle, was walking onto his porch when he felt the collision. Ertle said he has lived in the house since 1983 and described the intersection as a magnet for car crashes.
“People just don’t pay attention to this corner. They speed right through it,” Ertle said.
Ertle’s neighbor, 30-year-old Shawn McDowell, lives across Quebec with his wife and two children. He said an SUV also drove through the side of their garage three years ago.
McDowell said a lot of the accidents have stemmed from drivers running the corner’s traffic light.
“I think the people on Quebec think they’re on a highway,” he said. “People seem to drive carelessly.”
George Plaven: 303-954-1638 or gplaven@denverpost.com
