Raleigh home repeatedly hit by cars finally gets help
RALEIGH, North Carolina (WTVD) -- A barrier is being created at one of the entrances to the Brookstone subdivision, off New Hope Road in Raleigh, after six cars hit a man's home, but not everyone in the neighborhood is happy about it.
"The last accident, like a big chunk of the wall, like the sign itself, was in my living room," homeowner, Carlo Bernarte said. "Picture that in your head -- like all those shattered glasses, the smell of gasoline, its evil."
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The Bernarte family is hoping the city's project to block street access and extend the guardrail will change all that.
If you look closely, Bernarte said, you can still see some of the signs left behind by the wrecks on their door and walkway.
The fear of not knowing when the next accident will be makes his wife and three children live in a constant panic.
The barrier is a big deal for the Bernarte family because now they feel they can finally enjoy their living room in peace after the six cars slammed through their front yard, debris coming through their windows.
"Supposedly your home is your sanctuary. You know, there's no place like home -- it's supposed to be the safest place in the world," Bernarte said.
But some of his neighbors worry about how the roadblock will affect school bus routes, accessibility to first responders and longer commutes - and wonder whether there's something else that could've been done instead.
"They should've just put a stoplight there and slow down all the people coming on New Hope," neighbor, Maurice Toko said.
Others said they support it.
"A careless, reckless person -- the only thing that's going to keep them from doing danger is to be absolutely stopped as much as possible," Phyllis Mueller said.
"I think they put it in the wrong area to start with," Theodore Williams said of the former entry point.
As for Bernarte, he said he believes the guardrail has the power to forever change his family's lives.
"This is not only property damage, it's also like mental," He said. "And then you know, we've been lucky but, you know sometimes luck will run out eventually."
