MILWAUKEE — A Milwaukee man says he was forced from his home because too many reckless drivers kept crashing into it. Junious Merriweather’s house at 76th and Stark is currently considered uninhabitable until the repair work is finished after a car slammed into it in 2021.
TMJ4 News first met Junious Merriweather in 2019 following a deadly crash outside his home. The car slammed into Merriweather’s yard and the windshield of the car blew out and slammed into the front door. It was all captured on Merriweather’s surveillance camera.
The next year, in 2020, Merriweather captured video of a car that crashed outside his home. In 2021, he also showed us cell phone video showing a car that hit his house and his porch.
“Cars have been running into my yard repeatedly,” said Merriweather.
He showed us the police reports, 17 times in seven years Merriweather has had a vehicle on or next to his property. Finally, he said enough.
"I never had any intentions of leaving my home. I wanted to stay there. I fixed it up really good shape. I liked it. My wife and I loved our home, but we had to move,” said Merriweather
Merriweather still owns the house but after a car hit it in 2020, he was scared for his family and moved out. A year later, in 2021, the home was hit again and this time it was deemed unlivable due to structural damage.
"My insurance company has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars,” said Merriweather.
He plans to rent out his home once it is fixed up again. But he says he won't live there anymore.
“I want to keep it. I don't want to get rid of my property. But I do know I need to fortify it to make it safe for anybody that is staying there,” said Merriweather.
He has since put these boulders around his home in hopes of preventing cars from making it onto his lawn. Merriweather says he has been talking to the city about making some sort of change to the road for five years. He believes the slight curve causes speeding or distracted drivers to end up on his lawn. So far no changes have been made.
Milwaukee Alderman Mark Chambers, who represents that area, says he and the Department of Public Works are looking at the road and are considering bump-outs for the area.
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