Street racing crash scene spans an entire block, causes thousands of dollars in damage

By Scott Carpenter

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    DES MOINES, Iowa (KCCI) — A quiet Sunday morning turned into chaos when street racers lost control of their cars and crashed into homes on East 14th Street between Guthrie and Thompson Avenues.

“It sounded like a great big huge rumble of thunder,” said Donna Ludlow, whose home was damaged by the crash.

Ludlow’s window is busted, her deck is destroyed and her house is covered in oil. A single shoe sits alone on her damaged deck. She said she picked it up near her yard. The other shoe was found four houses down.

Four houses down is where you’ll find Sergio Hernandez assessing the damage to his property.

Trees are uprooted and his yard is filled with shingles and car parts. One of the street racers’ cars came to rest in his yard. The other was nearby on the curb in front of the house.

Both drivers ditched their cars and left the scene.

“This didn’t have to happen. I’m glad nobody got hurt. Somebody could’ve been killed,” said Hernandez.

His property is not just a home; it’s a non-profit helping homeless people get back on their feet. With donations on a downward trend, paying this deductible is not ideal.

“It’s another expense that we didn’t plan for,” says Hernandez.

As these neighbors on East 14th Street pick up car parts, shingles and tree limbs, they hope those responsible are held accountable.

“When they catch them, they need to punish them because they’re not using their heads, said Ludlow.

Des Moines police believe the street racers may have had assistance leaving the scene. Witnesses say other cars pulled up and helped the street racers get away.

If you have any information, you can call crime stoppers of Central Iowa at 515-223-1400

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