CHICAGO (WGN) — A Jefferson Park family has been forced out of their home after a CTA bus plowed into earlier this month, leaving the house uninhabitable.
“We really don’t expect the sudden change of getting out of your comfort zone. The kids are really traumatized right now,” homeowner Pam Huet said.
Pam, her husband Art, and their three children — ages 15, 10, and 4 — were sitting on the couch just before 11 p.m. on Sept. 20 when the crash happened.
“We were just finishing watching a movie, Saturday is movie night for us, and we heard a big bang and crash. We looked back and the walls were cracked,” Pam said.
According to Chicago police, the CTA bus was traveling northbound on Central Avenue when a black sedan ran a stop sign at Catalpa Avenue, striking the front driver’s side of the bus.
The impact sent the bus out of control, hitting a parked car before smashing through a fence and into the Huets’ home.
There were no passengers on the bus at the time, but the 46-year-old female CTA driver was injured.
“It was chaos. I see the driver had a bloody face and I told them we need to get out, it’s dangerous inside,” Art Huet said.
The driver of the sedan fled the scene, police said. Investigators later told the family the vehicle involved was a Tesla.
The Huets, who have lived in their home for five years, are now navigating both the insurance process and an active police investigation.
A company helped them retrieve belongings from inside, where cracks can be seen in the walls and ceilings. The front door has been knocked off its frame, and even the basement walls show damage.
But for Pam and Art, the greatest concern is the emotional toll on their children.
“My daughter was sitting right behind the wall the bus hit. She was doing her homework,” Pam said.
“It’s scary because I want them to be happy and their life to be normal. They told me, ‘Dad I’m scared.’ It’s hard,” Art added.
Area Five Detectives continue searching for the sedan driver. In the meantime, the family is receiving community support through a GoFundMe page to help them secure temporary housing.
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