August 22, 2012

A car hitting hitting a house seems like a freak accident, but on one section of Highway 70 South in Davidson County it has become a foregone conclusion.
      
One homeowner claims his house has been struck by a vehicle 14 times in the last 33 years.

The latest incident happened Wednesday morning.

A tow truck pulls a car from the front of Don Walker's house.
     
Neighbors on Highway 70 South in Bellevue have seen it all before.

"It's normal, happens all the time," says neighbor Butch Atwood.

Butch Atwood has lived here for 36 years. He has watched car after car slam into the front of his neighbor's house.
    
"Most of the time they're doing 30, 40, 50 miles per hour, and they just come right across," says Atwood.
       
26 year old Robert Leavenworth of White Bluff was cited for driving this car.  Neighbors tell us he fell asleep after he allegedly drove into the house.

Homeowner, Don Walker wouldn't talk to us on camera for fear of aggravating his insurance company, but he and his neighbors can easily explain the problem.

It starts at the nearby cross street, Bellevue Road.
     
Drivers don't always realize the road comes to a "t" at Highway 70. Instead they go straight on through and end up in Don Walker's house.

"It looks just like the road continues till they get to the other side then they (steer), right into his house," says Atwood.

The Tennessee Department of Transportation is very familiar with the intersection.

"We reviewed the crash data in that area to come up with what we could do out there to help make that intersection safer," says Deanna Lambert with TDOT.

This past April TDOT made some changes on Bellevue Road. Workers installed an oversize stop sign. new pavement markings, and a stop ahead sign.
    
There's also a flashing light that has been here for years.

"Basically to draw more attention to the stop sign and the flashing lights, and the markers on the pavement," says Lambert.

But all those changes didn't prevent this crash. Neighbors say it may be time for one last improvement.

"If nothing else they ought to put a sign that says this is a dead end road, because they don't see it," says Butch Atwood.

26 year old Robert Leavenworth was cited for driving on a revoked license and no proof of insurance.
     
Police also tell us Leavenworth was also arrested for a DUI back in May.
 
Meanwhile Don Walker, who was not home at time of this accident, is now working with his insurance company, once again.

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