Imagine you’re sitting down for a nice Saturday evening when you hear a car come careening off the road and into your yard.
That was the case in Federal Way over the weekend. That homeowner is now cleaning up the mess, frustrated with the police response more than anything else.
Around 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, a car came crashing through David Tappon’s backyard. Wooden fencing and debris are still scattered everywhere.
That vehicle nearly took out a dog kennel and a backyard swing set where kids were playing.
All of which has the homeowner upset and searching for answers.
“My wife predicted this a few years ago,” Tappon claims. “She said ‘one of these days, someone is gonna come through this fence.’ I never wanted to believe that until it happened. And, it’s devastating.”
Investigators say a driver, who was likely in excess of the 35 mph speed limit, tried to pass another car on the right shoulder. That caused a collision, forcing that reckless car off the road and into Tappon’s backyard, where his dogs were sleeping.
It narrowly avoided hitting children who were playing next door. It also sent his wife, Christina, into a panic.
“All I hear is screaming. ‘Call 911. Call 911. A car went through the fence,’” recounts the Federal Way retiree. “And, I’m thinking ‘Ok, the nose of a car came through our fence.’ I had no idea. So, she’s frantic, she’s running around like ‘Where are my dogs? Where are my dogs? We can’t find the dogs. What about the kids?’ She heard the kids screaming.”
Thankfully, everyone was okay, including the dogs “Moose” and “Sterling”.
However, David’s wife did have to go to the hospital to get checked out because she was so worked up.
Meanwhile, the foundation of his deck was taken out. His gazebo and hot tub were essentially total losses. And, his frustration with the Federal Way Police is mounting.
“It’s stuff, I get that. The main thing is nobody was hurt, nobody was killed. And, I’m very, very happy about that,” David says thankfully. “But, I’m very disappointed in how this was processed. They blew it off.”
The crash also forced the Tappon’s to cancel their trip to Las Vegas. They were scheduled to leave for the airport early Sunday morning.
Even more concerning? David says someone claiming to be a cousin of the driver came back later, trying to gain access to their backyard, saying they lost something in the crash.
“I said ‘No, no, no, no, no. He’s not coming on the property.’ Then, he tried to say, ‘I have a wallet with rent money down here, we need it to pay rent,” Tappon recalled.
“I say, ‘Well, you’re not getting it. Anything that I find here is going to the police.’ So, whatever it is that’s under there, it’s something that they want.”
KIRO 7 reached out to Federal Way police, who said it does not appear that street racing was involved. That driver was cited for reckless driving, a misdemeanor. And, although they had to be transported to the hospital with minor injuries, police did not detect any signs of impairment. He was subsequently released.
Tappon has contacted his insurance company. He says this is the first claim he’s ever had to file. He also said he’s reached out to the Federal Way mayor and chief of police, trying to schedule a meeting with both.
But, ultimately, what the Tappons would really like to see are some sort of speed measures put in place. Especially with so many families around the area and Mark Twain Elementary School less than a mile away.
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