‘He could’ve killed one of us’: Car crashes into Mason County home as family watches movie

MASON COUNTY, Wash. — A drunk driver crashed into a Mason County home, police said, as the family watched a movie inside their house.

Shelton police said the drunk driver slammed into the home Monday at about 7 p.m. on Laurel Street.

Several empty beer cans were found inside the vehicle, authorities said.

“He could’ve killed one of us,” said Lyndsey Goldsby, mother. “When I walked over to the top of the staircase, I could smell the alcohol. It was so bad.”

The family said they captured several photos of the wreck, including the empty beer cans.

Goldsby said she asked her daughter Emma, who was inside her bedroom, to watch a Disney movie with the family on the second floor.

Emma joined her loved ones upstairs – the first time in six months, the mother said.

Moments later, a car smashed through her daughter’s bedroom.

“I’m just really grateful that we’re all okay,” she said. “You never ever expect something like this will happen.”

Shelton police said the suspect appeared in court Tuesday and had been cited for driving under the influence and five counts of reckless endangerment.

The family is currently waiting on their insurance company to repair the damage, however, the home is losing heat as the temperatures continue to drop.

“It’s 40 degrees. It’s pretty cold down there,” the mother described her daughter’s room. “She can’t stay in her room. There’s so much debris. There’s glass.”

“It’s going to be a lot more money and it is hard. We’re a paycheck-to-paycheck family,” the mother added.

“They’re facing covering a huge electrical bill,” said Hollyanna Vopat-Steiner, a family friend. “It’s currently snowing in Shelton so their bill is going to be substantial.”

While the family is grateful that none of their loved ones were injured, they’re urging people to think twice before driving under the influence.

“What if he did hurt or kill one of us? That ruins his whole life, just don’t do it. It could ruin your life and everybody else’s. It’s just not worth it,” the mother told KIRO 7 News.