Driver plows into West Rutland home, drives off

State Police are looking for a driver who crashed into a West Rutland home.

In West Rutland, Pleasant Street residents consider their neighborhood a pretty quiet place. But while standing in his kitchen with his wife late Tuesday, Royal Wood got a wake up call. "All of a sudden there's a hell of a bang," he said.

Reporter Taylor Young: Did the house shake?

Royal Wood: Oh yeah.

The couple looked out their kitchen window and saw headlights. A vehicle heading south on Pleasant Street had hit their house.

"I think they may have been stunned for a couple of seconds because they didn't do anything right away. It was like a couple of seconds, then they started trying to back out," Deborah said.

"Once I realized what it was, I went out the end door and he was already backed into the road just heading off a way," Royal said.

Left behind was a hole the size of a bumper in the front of their house -- now temporarily covered. Royal says he doesn't know how much damage the driver caused, but says he's grateful the foundation of the house wasn't affected.

Royal says he's frustrated that the driver didn't own up to their error. "If somebody knows who did it, I'd like to know about it. My insurance is going to pay for it, but still, somebody ought to be responsible enough to go 'Hey, I made a mistake and there's a hole in your house,'" he said.

He describes the car as a gray or silver pickup truck -- possibly a Ford Ranger or similar model with a ladder rack.

Authorities haven't identified the driver. If you have any information regarding the incident, contact Vermont State Police.