Big rig slams into Oakland home, neighbors call intersection dangerous

OAKLAND, Calif. (KGO) -- In the Oakland Hills Thursday, an out of control big rig slammed into a house-- and it's not the first time. It happened at the intersection of two steep and windy streets, where neighbors say they worry about these sorts of accidents all the time.

Karen Phelan flew in from Boston and spent the night at her friend Marion's apartment in a house on Colton Boulevard. At about 10:15 Thursday morning, there was a huge knock at the garage door, bigger than any human hand could make.

"I was on my computer and I heard a major crash and I thought it was an earthquake. It's the only thing I could think of."

This was no earthquake, instead, police say a big rig lost its brakes coming down Colton, rear-ended a dump truck and smashed into the home. Phelan did what you would expect, called her friend Marion Barber-- whose apartment she was staying in and who was away at the time.

"She sent me a picture and said get here ASAP," Barber said.

Fortunately, no one was hurt and most damage seems confined to the garage area.

When a fire in December of 2017 caused part of Snake Road to collapse, traffic, including big rigs, were diverted to a steeper section of Colton Boulevard. Barber says this time it was her home, but it's not the first time.

"Trucks blasting down this hill. I think they've got the airbrakes. One went through the fence and destroyed that last year."

Neighbor Barbara Kaplan says, "It's gotten scary and the whole neighborhood has been calling 311 and saying 'hey, when are you going to get the road fixed up here, when are you going to get the road fixed down there?"

We attempted to contact the City Council member from the area, as well as the head of the Oakland Department of Transportation for answers to those questions, but we haven't heard back.