'I'm still shaken by it': Resident recounts waking to gunshots, SUV slamming into house

WORCESTER — The driver of the sport utility vehicle that slammed into a house on Paine Street late Tuesday had been shot moments earlier, according to police.

The driver, a male, was rushed to a hospital, where he was being treated Wednesday morning.

The crash occurred about 9:15 p.m. at 73 Paine St., off Harlow Street. The vehicle toppled a fence before crashing into a porch.

Medical crews, firefighters and police converged on the scene, which began as a crash and evolved into a crime scene. First responders realized the driver was suffering from a gunshot wound, police said.

Investigators soon began studying the scene and combing the neighborhood. The road was blocked off; markings could be seen on the pavement.

Wednesday afternoon, the front porch of the three-decker and the metal fence were noticeably mangled. Glass from the vehicle dotted the steps to the front door.

Lorrie Carlson, 62, a resident of the house, said she was asleep when she heard a "pop, pop" and a "boom, boom." It sounded like gunshots, she said.

"I'm still shaken by it," Carlson said Wednesday afternoon.

Carlson said she screamed and called 911. While the car had not breached the inside of the house, Carlson said it sounded like the car came through the wall.

"I just feel scared; I've never had an experience like that before," Carlson said.

Her car, which was parked in front of her house Tuesday night, sustained damage to a wheel.

Tire marks were visible on the grass and sidewalk in front of the three-decker.

Rick Renaud, Carlson's nephew, was nearby at the time of the crash. He made his way to the scene.

"The guy was sunk over. He was shot in the head," Renaud said.

"I'm just praying for him, honestly," Carlson said.

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This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: SUV crashes into house on Paine Street in Worcester