De La Cruz family displaced after car crashes into home

DeKALB – A driver plowed through the home of a DeKalb family already known in the community for overcoming extraordinary odds.

The De La Cruz family of 312 W. Taylor St. was settled in for the night Saturday. Dori De La Cruz, 47, and husband, Lalo De La Cruz, 58, went downstairs to watch a movie. Sam De La Cruz, 11, was lounging on the ground floor couch in the living room. Enrique "Ricky" De La Cruz, 20 – who received a heart transplant in April 2017, and in January had a kidney transplant, donated by his father – and Bella De La Cruz, 15, were already in bed on the second floor.

About 11 p.m. a noise like an “explosion” rocked the house, the family said. Dori De La Cruz thought it was a gunshot because “you never know these days” and ran upstairs to the ground level to check on her children.

That’s when she saw a 2002 Pontiac Grand Am had struck the side of her home, coming through the living room wall on the east side of the house and cracking the foundation. The couch that Sam De La Cruz had only minutes before decided to vacate was feet away. The impact of the vehicle created a hole in the side of the house that extends to the basement, where it broke the water pipe. Debris littered the floor of the basement around the spot where the De La Cruz kids often do their computer work.

Brandon D. Tolliver, 22, of the 900 block of Dawn Court in DeKalb, crashed into the house after turning east onto Taylor Street from Leonard Avenue, DeKalb police Cmdr. Steve Lekkas said. Officers on the scene had probable cause to charge Tolliver with driving under the influence after he refused to take field sobriety tests. Tolliver had to be taken to the hospital, was released Sunday and taken to the police department, where he posted his driver’s license and $100 bail on charges of DUI and failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident, Lekkas said.

According to Dori De La Cruz, Tolliver’s car narrowly missed her neighbor’s house and a room where two young girls were sleeping.

“Some guardian angel is looking out for those babies,” Dori De La Cruz said.

The same can be said for the De La Cruz family, as Lalo De La Cruz walked around putting him arms up saying, “It could have been worse.”

The De La Cruz home is condemned with extensive water damage in the basement and foundation. The floor on the ground level in the living room is heavily damaged, as is the basement ceiling. Their living room sofa and other belongings downstairs are also broken.

Dori De La Cruz cautioned against drinking and driving.

“It doesn’t just displace us from our home,” Dori De La Cruz said. “We’re not sleeping well, our kids have been through a lot, especially Ricky.”

The family is temporarily staying at the Hampton Inn, 663 S. Annie Glidden Road, and have received an outpouring of support from family, friends and the community.

“We’re used to trauma,” Dori De La Cruz said.

She said anyone who would like to assist the family can drop donations off at the hotel, or send them to the house, at 312 W. Taylor St., DeKalb, IL 60115.

Although the scene was somber Tuesday evening, Lalo De La Cruz was quick to point out a piece of Tolliver’s car still sits in their basement.

“I’m going to frame it,” Lalo De La Cruz said with a smile. Dori De La Cruz said, “You can’t help but laugh because what else can you do?”

During Ricky De La Cruz’s surgeries the past few years, the family experienced what they call the true heart of the DeKalb community.

“I don’t do this by myself,” Dori De La Cruz said, expressing in earnest her gratitude for those who have contributed gift cards to local restaurants so the family can eat while they stay in the hotel, and how the DeKalb community has come to her family’s aid, time and time again.

After proper assessments are done on the home, the De La Cruz family hopes to be back in within a few weeks, although initial assessments predict full repairs could take months, citing heat and water as priorities.

Tolliver agreed April 23 to participate in a county deferred prosecution program after being charged in May 2017 with unlawful possession of a controlled substance. In addition to agreeing to go into drug treatment, Tolliver pledged he would not do drugs or drink alcohol during the one-year program. He was scheduled to appear in DeKalb County court April 22, 2019, and online court records do not yet reflect a new date, in light of the new charges.