PALM BAY, Fla. – A Palm Bay family is feeling especially grateful this holiday season — not for gifts or festivities, but for being alive. The family of six says they are thankful no one was hurt after a truck hit the home they were renting.
Luke Saunders says his wife, Frances Bernier and their two sons were inside when the crash happened.
“They were scared. It was a scary situation,” Saunders said. “The most important thing is no one was injured. That’s pretty much all I care about — everyone got out safe. No one was hurt, and he wasn’t hurt.”
Palm Bay Police say the crash occurred when an elderly neighbor accidentally pressed the gas pedal and bumped into the front of the home. No arrests were made, and the case is now closed.
“Things can be replaced — people can’t,” Saunders said. “It was just the timing, over the holidays. But God is good. Everything is going to be all right.”
The family is now staying in an Airbnb while they figure out their next steps. Despite the hardship, Saunders says this season has reminded him how much support surrounds their family.
“The Red Cross came through, people from the community, my daughter’s school,” he said. “It’s definitely overwhelming. It’s a really great feeling, not even knowing I had those types of people around me. It’s a blessing.”