ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Cranking in the New Year safely. The Monroe County Sheriff’s Office is encouraging everyone to drive sober this holiday season. In addition to the DWI checkpoints and patrols, law enforcement officers across the state will be watching out for speeding and distracted drivers. Deputy Brendan Hurley said it’s not only for your safety, but also for your neighbor's.

“We’ve lived in our current house for 26 years, since 1998,” Karin Weaver-Zacharek said.

Her and her husband, John Zacharek, spend their retirement taking drives in the country, to the water and just about anywhere they can make it to and back in a day. But recently, their drives have felt more like a safe place.

“We have not really felt safe since it happened. Because there’s no boundary from, you know, half the porch is gone and the foundation was pushed into the basement that night,” Weaver-Zacharek explained.

What You Need To Know

  • Law enforcement officers across the state are cranking down on safe driving this holiday with DWI checkpoints and patrols and watching out for speeding and distracted drivers
  • In the early hours of Nov. 10, a home on a bend on Atlantic Avenue in Penfield was hit by a car and sustained significant damage
  • It was the second time the home had been hit by a car. The first time, the driver passed away, and sheriff's deputies say alcohol was a factor.
  • Since the home is in between a 40 mph and 45 mph area, homeowners are advocating for additional safety measures like a guard rail or more street lights to be put in place in the drivers memory
  • The state Department of Transportation says it is aware of the incident, and Penfield says it's working with DOT to advocate for change

In the early hours of Nov. 10, a car drove through a telephone poll and into their front porch. The couple was trapped in their home.

“Here’s where the firemen helped us out of the house, right through that window, the kitchen,” her husband said.

First responders arrived on scene quickly and helped them and their dog, Molly, exit the home safety through the back kitchen window about 15 feet off the ground.

“Getting out of the house was a big deal because we could smell the exhaust coming in the house or the basement. And the door being wedged really was not good,” Zacharek explained.

“My heart just sank because we knew it was really serious,” she added, “It was just a very sinking feeling like, oh. And then kind of a fear of going out to what we would find there, because this was the worst that we have seen.”

Car parts cover their front yard where their porch once sat. They say they’ve even found parts in their basement. The foundation of their home was also significantly damaged.

It’s the second time their home has been hit by a car, but this was the first time the driver passed away on their property. MCSO has confirmed alcohol was a factor in the investigation.

“We have distinct memories of so many accidents. Also, cars have flipped over that went into our neighbor’s area. Yeah, and I guess down the street, some of the poles have been hit as well,” Weaver-Zacharek explained.

Their home sits at the bend on Atlantic Avenue in Penfield, in between a 40 mph and 45 mph zone. They’re afraid that rule isn’t followed well enough, and that’s causing a safety risk for themselves and drivers.

“He was obviously doing like 60 or 70 miles an hour in a 40 zone, 45 zone. You know, that’s pretty common. People treat that road like it’s a racetrack,” Zacharek said.

“There’s just so much distractability than there use to be, and it’s more common for houses to be hit than years ago,” Weaver-Zacharek added.

That’s why they’re advocating to have a guardrail or more street lights to be put in place in front of the bend near their home, to prevent incidents like this from happening again.

“It’s just a dangerous curve, and we need to do something so no one else gets hurt, or worse,” Zacharek explained. “They say they have a process for calculating when a guardrail is worthy, and the person I spoke to didn't feel that we met the criteria. And, if we don’t, who does?”

The Town of Penfield says it’s been advocating to make the changes to their street in its monthly town meetings with representatives from the state Department of Transportation. However, since it’s a state road, Route 286, it’s the responsibility of the DOT to implement change.

In a statement, it said, “Safety is always the top priority of the New York State Department of Transportation. While Atlantic Avenue (State Route 286) in Penfield adheres to state and federal standards for safety, NYSDOT has spoken with the homeowners in question and agreed to review the area for potential enhancements.”

The couple has been present for town board meetings, and is hopeful change can come sooner rather than later so this won’t happen for a third time. While they send their thoughts and prayers to the driver who passed away, they hope once change is made, it will be a positive point to the driver’s memory.

“If his life could make a difference, with a change, that would be a positive statement to make,” Weaver-Zacharek said.