CASSELBERRY, Fla. – Laura Quillen was sitting with her family in her Casselberry garage just before 9 p.m. Monday night, celebrating the new year, when an SUV lost control, missed the curve and smashed through the fence in her front yard.
"Everything turned blue and it reminded me of the incident I'd seen in Astoria, Queens, the night before, the transformer exploded. Everything was blue," Quillen said. "Thank God my grandchildren weren't here. My daughter went to Pennsylvania. Normally, I have 22 grandchildren and at least 11 of them would have been out here playing."
Quillen said that after the crash, the gray SUV got stuck on a power pole support cable but the driver was able to free the car and took off before anyone saw them.
On Tuesday morning, Quillen's front yard, at the corner of Lake Griffin Circle and Packing House Drive in Casselberry, was littered with shattered plastic fence pieces.
Footage from her surveillance camera shows the outline of the SUV a split second before it crashed, knocked out power and ended the recording.
Quillen and her neighbors said speeding on Lake Griffin Circle and Packing House Drive has been a problem for years.
"It is horrible," Quillen said. "They come speeding down this block. No one ever stops at this stop sign. We have notified Casselberry regarding this, but being there hasn't been any incidents there's nothing they can do about it."
Elaine Eike, a 30-year-resident and Quillen's neighbor, said she's asked for help from the mayor and police department.
Neighbors said they want to make the intersection of Lake Griffin Circle and Packing House Drive a 3-way stop to curb speeding. They also want enforcement.
"I contacted the mayor of Casselberry with no response. I know (other neighbors) have called the police many times," Eike said. "I am a nervous wreck when I'm backing out of my house. I'm halfway out and they're zooming around doing 30 (mph) and 40 (mph), even though the speed limit is 25 (mph)."
Tuesday afternoon, News 6 emailed both the Casselberry mayor and chief of police asking about the inquiries made by Qillen and Eike. Neither one responded but city offices were closed on News Year's Day.
"I guess (they're waiting) for something to happen," Quillen said. "People coming flying around that turn, people don't stop. There's going to wind up being a collision. Somebody will eventually get killed. I pray to God it doesn't happen but the way traffic is around here it definitely will."