Ford Mustang hits home; owner thought it was an earthquake

WEST MELBOURNE, Fla.,None — An elderly Brevard County veteran thought he was feeling an earthquake when a car slammed into his living room Tuesday morning.

Officials said the car was halfway into the house on Coconut Grove Avenue in West Melbourne.

The homeowner said this isn't the first time the driver has done this.
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Slideshow: Ford Mustang in home

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Bob Johnson was on the other side of his house when it happened. The veteran of three wars is hard of hearing, and he thought there had been an earthquake.

"Pictures fell down off the table down on the floor and I picked them up and went back on my computer and I had no idea," Johnson said.

It wasn't until a neighbor knocked on the door and showed him the damage that he realized what the earthquake really was.

"I said, 'Oh [expletive].'"

The driver missed a turn, and went straight through Johnson's yard and plowed into his kitchen.

Joel Rhodes was the driver. He's 30 years old and lives two houses down from Johnson.

"This is the second time he's done damage to me," Johnson said.

A year ago, Rhodes drove down the same curve and smashed into Johnson's concrete culvert, causing $1,200 in damage.

Rhodes' father told us that in this crash, his son blacked out, and he doesn't have a drug problem.

"No, he's had an air problem in the past. Huffing. But I have no idea if that's related to this at all," Jeff Rhodes said.

The West Melbourne Police Department is investigating.

In the meantime, Johnson has workers repairing the damage, but he's not sure whose insurance will end up paying.

WFTV