A pickup truck driven by a man who has never had a license went crashing through an apartment building on Jan. 9 in Tampa. The impact threw a woman from a couch across her living room, according to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office.

  • Crash occurred at 11:30 a.m. Jan. 9
  • Tree outside living room wall may have slowed truck's impact
  • Driver was apprehended after fleeing the scene on foot

The victim, Yasiel Ruiz, 22, said she was lying on her couch watching TV when the truck came smashing through her wall. Ruiz believes a tree outside her living room wall slowed the truck just enough to spare her life.

"If it wasn't for a tree outside that was in the way, it would have ran me over,” she said. “I think I would be dead.”

The crash happened at 11:30 a.m. at 14001 Carmen Court in unincorporated Tampa. Neighbor Carl Maine, 48, said he witnessed the pickup truck driver traveling at a high rate of speed before losing control.

“It tilted from (the) driver side to (the) passenger over… and then it came down,” he said. “When it came down, it just swerved over to the left and into this building. I’m surprised that all the cement bricks, blocks and everything, didn’t really mess her up.”

The view from inside Yasiel Ruiz's apartment after the crash. The hole created by the truck's impact has been boarded over. (Josh Rojas, staff)

Ruiz was transported to Florida Hospital and later released. The victim said the crash left her with physical and mental injuries.

“I’m not doing well because of my spine,” she said. “And now I’m a little nervous.”

Deputies said the pickup truck driver, Marcellino Perez, 28, fled the scene on foot and was arrested about a mile away. Perez has never been issued a license, according to deputies.

Perez was charged with leaving the scene of a crash involving injury, no valid driver’s license and giving a false name to law enforcement.