Corvette slams into Palmetto Bay home days before Christmas, family demands safety changes
A Palmetto Bay family is demanding action after a Corvette crashed through their fence a day before Christmas, leaving behind major damage and renewed concerns about speeding on their street.
The crash happened around 5 p.m. on Wednesday along Southwest 174th Street. The family says they were preparing for a Christmas Eve gathering when they heard what sounded like an explosion.
Security video captured the moment a Corvette came down the street, tires screeching, before slamming into the property, tearing down the fence, damaging a boat, and smashing through concrete.
"My kids were playing outside just moments before the crash happened," said homeowner Genavieve Villar. "They were drawing with chalk on that side of the house."
According to the Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office, the sports car was traveling south on Southwest 88th Court when it crashed into the home. Villar says the vehicle belongs to a neighbor.
No one inside the car or the home was injured.
"We heard my mom screaming, and we just ran outside," Villar said.
The aftermath left shattered concrete and splintered wood — visible reminders of what Villar calls reckless driving.
CBS News Miami went to the home of the alleged driver, where a black Corvette was seen parked behind a fence. Through a Ring camera, residents declined to comment.
For Villar, this was not an isolated incident.
"This is the second time something like this has happened at our home," she said.
Just six months ago, Villar says her husband was hit while trying to leave their driveway.
"Someone ran straight into the side of his car. She was speeding," Villar said. "It totaled his F-250."
Now, the family is calling on the village to install traffic-calming measures such as speed bumps or a roundabout.
Palmetto Bay Vice Mayor Mark Merwitzer says the village is looking into solutions.
"Some solutions that the village has deployed just down the street here is a miniature roundabout in the middle of the street that forces residents to slow down," Merwitzer said. "That could be one solution. We have speed bumps, obviously. There's a whole buffet of things that we can choose from, but I want residents to know that I'm actively looking for more information here and that we're going to solve this and address this together."
The family is currently away on vacation and does not yet know how much the repairs will cost.
They say the driver was cited for the crash. CBS News Miami is working to confirm with the Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office what charges or consequences the driver may face.