Truck crashes into East Hill home

Kent's Renee Keller routinely begins her day with coffee, cuddling with her dog in her front living room and catching up with the latest news on television.

Renee Keller – with her dog Pixie – surveys the damage after a man drove his truck into the front window of her East Hill home early Thursday morning. Damage is around $4

Renee Keller – with her dog Pixie – surveys the damage after a man drove his truck into the front window of her East Hill home early Thursday morning. Damage is around $4

Kent’s Renee Keller routinely begins her day with coffee, cuddling with her dog in her front living room and catching up with the latest news on television.

But early Thursday morning was different. She decided to have coffee in bed.

It was a good thing.

A man inexplicably rounded a tight corner, swerved off the street in front of Keller’s East Hill home in the 27200 block of 120th Avenue Southeast and drove his light pickup truck into her front window, shattering all in its wake.

“I usually get up to watch the news,” Keller said. “I became the news.”

Keller instantly became a fast-moving Twitter topic, an online conversation of concern that spread among family, friends and neighbors.

Keller is just fine. On vacation from her job at Goodwill, she was looking forward to a quiet, productive day. Then someone unexpectedly dropped in.

The truck struck the window and went airborne, Keller said. The driver stopped, stared at Keller’s shaken daughter-in-law, who had been in the other side of the home, then quickly backed up and drove off, Keller said.

Witnesses told Kent Police that the man – described to be in his early-to-mid 30s, with a medium build, bald or with stubbled hair – was driving a small, light gold or silver Ford Sport Trac.

Keller said her house sustained about $4,100 worth of damage, although nothing structural was done to her home. Insurance will help, she said. Repairs were in the works Friday.

“I’ve been wanting to remodel the house,” Keller said, “just not on these terms.”

Lost in the episode was Keller’s 42-inch TV, its screen cracked. She was looking forward to watching the Seahawks take on Denver in an NFL preseason opener Thursday evening.

But those plans changed, too.

“I guess the man must have been a Broncos fan,” Keller said.

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call the Kent Police Department at 253-856-5800.


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