DeWitt (WSYR-TV) – The driver of an SUV that crashed into a DeWitt home Wednesday afternoon is facing numerous drug charges, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
The Onondaga County Sheriff’s Office reports, 22-year-old Keith Byrd fled from deputies after they attempted to pull him over for running a stop sign at the intersection of Leighton Avenue and Galster Avenue. Deputies say Byrd led police on a chase through several area roadways before speeding off on Craigie Street. That’s when they say he lost control of his SUV and crashed into the foundation of the home, located at 700 North Avenue.
Byrd, who wasn't hurt in the crash, was immediately taken into custody. A female passenger, identified as 24-year-old Mia Kadah, had to be extricated from the vehicle. She was transported to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
A 16-year-old girl who was inside the home at the time of the crash was not hurt.
"I was right in the room when it happened. I didn't know what to do. My whole body shook,” said 16-year-old Cassidy Ciereck. “My whole house shook. All my pictures came down off the wall. My kitchen table moved, everything moved.”
Deputies on the scene recovered 46.6 grams of cocaine from Byrd’s vehicle, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
"When the deputy approached the car he saw a large bag of white substance sitting on the dash board,” Onondaga County Sheriff Kevin Walsh.
Walsh says the crash could have been much worse.
"There's a number of things that obviously could have gone wrong and you know I think we're very fortunate that it ended the way it did,” Sheriff Walsh said.
Byrd is facing several drug charges, as well as unlawful fleeing from police, aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, reckless driving, speeding and passing several stop signs after failing to comply to a traffic stop.
The home suffered no serious structural damage.
