One person was killed when the driver of an SUV crashed into the back of a house on Carissa Drive at Jupiter Road in Dallas at about 2:30 a.m. Sunday.
Dallas Police said the driver was taken to Baylor Hospital in serious condition and charged with criminally negligent homicide.
A witness told police the driver was speeding on Jupiter Road when he ran a red light, left the road, smashed through a fence, plowed through the yard and crashed into the wall of the garage.
Humberto Najera, 19, was thrown from the car and died at the scene. The other passenger was injured but able to run away. Police caught him nearby, and he also was taken to Baylor Hospital. He told police the three had been drinking beer before the accident.
A mother and her four children sleeping in the home and two dogs in the backyard were not injured in the crash.
The Cruz family said a peach tree in the backyard probably helped slow the car down and prevent it from crashing further into the house.
"It was really scary. We were terrified. We were all sleeping. We just heard a really big boom and woke up really fast and came out and checked what was going on," said Maria Cruz, 18. "If it wasn't for that tree, the car could have ran into my mom's room because the garage is right next to my mom's room."
The father, who wasn't home at the time, lost all of his lawn equipment in the garage which he uses in his landscaping and irrigation business.
The family has insurance but they're concerned about how much their policy will cover.
Editor's Note: In a previous version of this article the driver was incorrectly identified. NBCDFW apologizes for the error.
