Caught on camera: Driver charged with DWI after crashing through yards, damaging Wilmington home

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — A Wilmington neighborhood was left with damaged property and debris after a car crashed through multiple yards and struck a home on Maides Avenue Tuesday night.

The crash happened around 7:40 p.m. near 429 Maides Avenue and was captured on a resident’s Ring security camera.

Abdull Akbar, whose property was damaged, was not home when the crash occurred. However, his security camera captured the moment the vehicle drove through his yard.

“That’s my yard. That’s that’s going through my yard,” Akbar said while watching the footage.

The aftermath was visible Wednesday, with a broken side-view mirror, splintered fence posts, damaged outdoor furniture, crushed mailboxes and pieces of the vehicle scattered across the area.

Tire tracks also marked the path the car took as it traveled north along Maides Avenue.

Manuel Robinson witnessed the crash from his front porch and described watching the vehicle tear through neighboring properties.

“Went on to the fence over there and after all his tree down is. Hit the picnic table and went on across the street and hit the lady house on the corner,” Robinson said.

The vehicle eventually struck the home of Vanessa Parker, damaging the exterior of her house.

“The foundation was uh, damaged on the side as well as the deciding on the House and everything and. Trash can I think prevented some of the damage. That was smashed up,” Parker said.

Robinson also described the driver’s behavior during the incident.

“He was out of it. Yeah. So you, he didn’t know what he hit through here. I guess he blanked. He was blanked out. And it’s pretty hit the gas,” Robinson said.

Police arrested 39-year-old Laron Eric Brown and charged him with driving while impaired (DWI) and driving without an operator’s license.

Following the crash, firefighters installed temporary supports beneath Parker’s front porch. The structure was considered safe for the time being, but Parker said the experience left her concerned about her safety

“I don’t feel very safe being here with that,  where someone running into my home here, is not very confident,” Parker said.

Brown was given a $5,000 secured bond.

The investigation into the crash remains ongoing.