Orlando's House of Hope in need of repairs after crash

ORLANDO, Fla. — Orange County deputies are still looking for the passenger who witnesses saw running from the scene of a crash near the nonprofit House of Hope in Orlando on Saturday.

Deputies said the vehicle barreled through the back fence of the property on the end of 37^th Street, killing driver Jeremiah St. Roman, 24.

The wreck is being investigated as a homicide after the medical examiner determined St. Roman’s injuries weren’t consistent with a crash.

The crash tore up both the basketball and tennis courts of House of Hope and pulled a goal post out of the ground before ending up on its side.

“Yeah, it’s a lot of damage that needs to be fixed up,” said Sara Trollinger, president of the House of Hope.

While detectives are searching for the passenger, the home that’s been reaching out to troubled teens for nearly three decades with help from public funds  must quickly mend both a battered fence and a sense of security.

“It’s a place of safety. It’s a haven of hope here and that’s the way we like to keep it,” Trollinger said.

Deputies said new information is coming in about the investigation, but they can’t release it until it’s completely reviewed.

WFTV