MARICOPA COUNTY, Ariz. — Not staying at her home, in her bed, possibly saved Samantha Cueva’s life.
“If I were to be home, that night, I wouldn’t be alive standing here today,” Cueva said.
On Saturday, a car plowed through Cueva's bedroom, ending up in the hallway of her Gila River Indian Community home.
A loud boom woke Cueva's mother up. Her mom and their family dog were asleep on the opposite end of the house when the car crashed in around 1:30 a.m. near 88th Street and Hunt Highway.
Cueva’s mother initially thought someone had broken into the home, so she locked herself in her room. But suddenly began to smell smoke, and when she went to investigate, she saw her daughter’s room engulfed in flames.
“My mom called me, and I could hear the fire alarm go off. I told her to get out of the house right away,” Cuevas said.
While her mother and beloved pet escaped unharmed, family members who live nearby heard the crash and ran to help.
The family saw smoke, noticed the gate was gone and a car slammed into the house. As they got closer, they saw a woman on the ground near the car.
“We grabbed her. We drug her away from the flames,” the family member said. “She said there was someone else in [the car], so we went [to see], but that’s when the car exploded more, so we decided to back off and drag her some more.”
Gila River Indian Community authorities would not confirm if there were other passengers in the car at the time of the crash but said the driver was taken to a hospital.
Police tell 12News the crash is still under investigation, and that they haven’t ruled out speed or impairment as a possible cause.
“There is no excuse for this to happen,” Cuevas said. “Just for her actions, and not being responsible, we have to go through the pain and hurt of the loss of our house. We have nowhere to go.”
Cuevas said the family had lived in the home for seven years. What hurts the most she said, is losing a blanket and teddy bear that had her grandfather’s voice saved, who died two years ago, a pair of shoes her brother wore when he died when he was two years old, and a baby dress she was saving for when she had a daughter.
“If I were to be here that night, there would be no me,” Cuevas said. “My family probably wouldn’t even be able to have my funeral. I would just be gone.”
Cuevas had a doctor’s appointment for the baby she is expecting – she is 12 weeks pregnant -- the day before the crash. Had she not decided to spend the night with her boyfriend, the car would have run her over, she added.
“I’m happy to be alive, I’m happy to have my mom and our dog alive. I’m thankful for that. But it just sucks because I want to come home and there’s nothing left,” Cuevas said.
The family has set up a GoFundMe account to help them get back on their feet. You can help by donating here.
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