STRONGSVILLE–A winter joyride lands a local teenager in jail.
Michael Kerr, 19, of Strongsville was arrested on Dec. 18 and later charged with one count of felony vandalism.
Kerr is accused of driving through the Huntington Park neighborhood and turfing nearly 80 lawns. Police said he may eventually face more than 60 counts of criminal damage.
“It was a beautiful Sunday morning, and there had been a light dusting of snow,” said Judith Sagan of Solon. “It was real pretty and we look out from the second-story window and somebody had driven a car over everyone’s lawn.”
Larry Smith said the snow highlighted where the car went—and where it didn’t.
“Surprised with some of the tight squeezes that he went through and it was just really devastating to look at your yard that you spent all summer with, you know, getting plush and green and to see somebody to drive through for no reason,” said Smith, whose lawn was damaged early that morning.
Most neighbors were particularly amazed that the accused made it through the yards with hardly any damage.
According to police reports, that joyride continued for several blocks. The car swept in and out of people’s yards, until it came to a screeching halt.
“This driver went through the development and up the main road, just zigzagging and curving through the hilly landscape and through people’s lawns,” Sagan said. “He actually got caught on some trees behind someone’s house. We were all jumping for joy that the guy got caught.”
While much evidence of that morning has melted away with the snow, Smith said they’re lucky to only have track marks and divots to remind them of that potentially fatal night.
“What if he had went through a house or, you know, if he had been sitting in the dining room eating dinner or something or having a late-night snack and the next thing you know, his car is in your window. That’s the scary part,” Smith said.