CHESTERFIELD, Va. (WTVR) - A family in Chesterfield is homeless after a semi ran off Interstate 95 Friday night and slammed into a mobile home park.
“It sounded like a tree crashing on a house,” said a neighbor. “I’ve never heard anything like it.”
Neighbors told CBS 6 News' Sandra Jones that it looked like a tornado hit the Holiday Mobile Home Park.
“It was so loud it just about shook the place,” said Virginia Thigpin. “I just heard the people screaming for help -- and that's when I called 911.”
“I thought it was trailer....you know...earthquake something like that.”
Trunt Kien, who was inside the trailer, said at first he thought it was an earthquake or something. Then, he heard his daughter scream "Where's mommy?"
Kien said the semi barreled through the back bedroom where his wife and two sons were sleeping.
“I thought they were gone,” said Kien, who told Jones the impact of that crash threw his wife and one of his sons out of their trailer.
“They tell me it hurts somewhere. She hurt her back,” said Kien.
But Kien says the two miraculously survived -- and he feels lucky.
And so was the truck driver.
“He was nervous. He looked kind of lost. He didn`t know what should happen,” said Nery Sariano, who tried to comfort the dazed man.
“I started asking questions about if he was okay. He said 'I`m ok.' I asked, 'you weren`t doing any drinking or anything like that?' He told Sariano that he thought he could make it to the next stop.
Neighbors believe a jersey wall along the interstate would have prevented the accident.
"He doesn't understand why there isn't some sort of protection that would keep cars and trailers from getting into this side,” said Sariano.
"I think so after this, for sure,” said Thigpin. “Nothing like this has ever happened here.”
State police charged the truck driver with reckless driving and failure to maintain proper control of his vehicle.
The Red Cross is putting the family up in a nearby hotel since police say their home is a total loss.
