Modesto homeowner mourns roommate killed when car crashed into house
A Modesto woman is grieving the loss of her roommate and close friend after a car crashed through her home Thursday morning, leaving one person dead and the homeowner uncertain how she will rebuild.
The crash happened around 8:30 a.m. near Fortuna Road and Encina Avenue in east Modesto. Police said the driver experienced a medical emergency, although the exact circumstances leading to the collision remain under investigation.
Four people were involved, including three inside the vehicle and one inside the home. All four were taken to area hospitals, where one person was pronounced dead.
Homeowner Gennifer Folks told CBS News Sacramento the person killed was her roommate, who had been staying in the living room — the same area the vehicle crashed through.
On Friday, Modesto police identified the woman killed as Kathleen Erickson, 67.
Just hours after the crash, Folks invited CBS News Sacramento inside her home, pointing out where Erickson's bed had been and where the vehicle came to a stop.
Folks said she was in her bedroom when she heard an enormous boom. Initially thinking her cats had knocked over furniture, she said she opened her bedroom door "and saw nothing but plaster flying everywhere."
She said neighbors rushed inside to help search for her roommate as she tried to make sense of what had happened.
Folks said the morning felt unusual even before the crash.
"I woke up going, 'Something's really off. I don't know what it is.' And within five or 10 minutes, life changed dramatically," she said.
Now, she faces another uncertainty: What will happen to the home she has spent the last decade fixing up?
Folks said she moved into the property about 10 years ago when it was a hoarder house and has gradually worked to restore it.
The crash left the home without gas or electricity, and Folks said she does not have homeowners insurance.
She explained that she has contacted more than 40 insurance companies but has struggled to obtain coverage because of issues involving a detached garage. Without insurance, she said she also cannot secure a loan to complete necessary repairs.
"I can't get a loan until I get insurance. I can't get insurance until I get it fixed," Folks said.
For now, she is staying with a friend while trying to find temporary accommodations for her pets, including six cats. One of her dogs, which had been sleeping near Erickson, ran away following the crash but was found safe Thursday afternoon.
"I've never been homeless. In fact, the gentleman that gave me this house made sure I wasn't homeless," Folks said.
Beyond the damage to her home, Folks said she is struggling with the loss of someone she considered family.
"We fought like siblings and like family," she said, describing the daily routines and familiar exchanges the two shared.
She said the reality of Erickson's death is only beginning to sink in.
"I can't call her because I still have, I still have her phone number and everything. So it's like she's not there. What can I do? There's nothing I can do," Folks said.
The crash remains under investigation by Modesto police.
