Putnam County

63-year-old woman in critical condition after alleged drunk driver crashes into house in Putnam Co.

POMONA PARK, Fla. — In Putnam County, a 63-year-old woman is hospitalized and in critical condition after authorities say an alleged drunk driver crashed into her house.

It happened just before midnight Sunday night at Bent Oak Drive and Lake Como Drive.

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Action News Jax spoke with the woman’s husband over the phone from the hospital. He said “she’s hanging in there.”

Video from Sunday night shows a red sports car slammed into the house.

“I hope she makes it; I really do,” Anthony Shaffer told Action News Jax.

Shaffer is the woman’s nephew. He says he found out about the crash early Monday morning.

According to Florida Highway Patrol, Walker Lelan Conklin, 39, was driving his Nissan 350Z down Bent Oak Drive. Instead of turning right onto Lake Como Drive, he continued straight, crashing through the fence, across the front yard and into the house.

“I’ve been in the house and she was laying right there on the couch and the TV on to the right, so yeah, it got her,” Shaffer said.

FHP says the driver was arrested for DUI. The Putnam County Sheriff’s Office jail log shows Conklin in jail with a $2,500 bond.

Action News Jax asked Shaffer if he had anything to say to the driver.

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“I hope God have mercy on him, that’s all I can say,” Shaffer replied.

The family is asking for continued prayers and support.

Shaffer also told Action News Jax that cars have lost control on the street before and have crashed into the yard, but never into the house. Shaffer would like a guardrail put up where Lake Como Drive curves.


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