Ralston family's home destroyed after alleged drunk driver crashes into it Thursday night (2025)

A Ralston home is in shambles after an allegedly drunk driver crashed through the front door Thursday night. The driver left the roadway, traveled down a hill, through a fence and ultimately through the front door of the Cap family's home. "You could reach out and touch the truck," Ashley Cap said. "My kids could reach out and touch the truck."Cap, a homeowner, said it was a typical school night, and she and her husband were sitting on the couch after getting their three children into bed. "We heard what sounded like a freight train," Cap said. "There was enough time for us to both look at each other and ask twice, 'What's that sound?'"Moments later, a full-size pick-up truck was inside their home. "You don't believe it," Cap said. "It's one of those, 'Did I just witness that?' Was this a dream? It was unreal."Cap said the impact was like an explosion, even launching her husband off of the couch and on top of her. "Then the sofa that he was on landed on top of us," Cap said. The truck also took out two of their children's bedroom wall, which Cap said caused the bunkbed to snap. "My 11-year-old said he woke up to headlights in his face," Cap said. "He could reach out and touch the car."Cap said the truck was blocking the path from the living room to the bedrooms, so she ran outside and around the house to the bedroom windows. "Oh, God. It was just, it was so traumatizing," Cap said. "I couldn't even get to them. I had to run out a side door and go around to the south side of the house. And by that time, my two older ones were smart enough through fire safety to open the window and get out. There was a moment of panic because our 4-year-old, the windows were locked, and he was too traumatized to know what was going on. As a mother, being able to look through a window and not being able to get to him when I needed him is just heartbreaking. It's just it's heartbreaking."The entire family escaped with only minor scrapes and bruises. "Knowing that a couple inches this way, my kids would have lost their parents and know that a couple inches that way, we would've lost our kids," Cap said. "Possessions are possessions. But a life is a life."However, Cap said one of their dogs has a fractured pelvis, and their 4-month-old kitten is missing. "He was actually a comfort pet for our oldest son because we had to put down our 16-year-old dog about a week ago, so him not knowing where his kitten is right now is completely breaking his heart," Cap said.Cap said the driver took off on foot after interacting with her inside her living room. Ralston police were able to locate the driver shortly after. The Ralston Police Department said the driver was cited for DUI, leaving the scene, open container, no operator's license and criminal misdemeanor. Police also said the driver's BAC was .191, and the investigation is ongoing. "Before the truck was even removed from the house, he was out of police custody," Cap said. "He was cited for misdemeanor charges and allowed to walk free."Cap said she and her husband are self-employed, so, for now, their business is on pause, but she said the are extremely thankful to the first responders, contractors and support from the community. The Cap family also said they hope their experience will lead to stricter punishments for intoxicated drivers.If you want to donate to help the family, click the link here.NAVIGATE: Home | Weather | Local News | National | Sports | Newscasts on demand |

RALSTON, Neb. —

A Ralston home is in shambles after an allegedly drunk driver crashed through the front door Thursday night.

The driver left the roadway, traveled down a hill, through a fence and ultimately through the front door of the Cap family's home.

"You could reach out and touch the truck," Ashley Cap said. "My kids could reach out and touch the truck."

Cap, a homeowner, said it was a typical school night, and she and her husband were sitting on the couch after getting their three children into bed.

"We heard what sounded like a freight train," Cap said. "There was enough time for us to both look at each other and ask twice, 'What's that sound?'"

Moments later, a full-size pick-up truck was inside their home.

"You don't believe it," Cap said. "It's one of those, 'Did I just witness that?' Was this a dream? It was unreal."

Cap said the impact was like an explosion, even launching her husband off of the couch and on top of her.

"Then the sofa that he was on landed on top of us," Cap said.

The truck also took out two of their children's bedroom wall, which Cap said caused the bunkbed to snap.

"My 11-year-old said he woke up to headlights in his face," Cap said. "He could reach out and touch the car."

Cap said the truck was blocking the path from the living room to the bedrooms, so she ran outside and around the house to the bedroom windows.

"Oh, God. It was just, it was so traumatizing," Cap said. "I couldn't even get to them. I had to run out a side door and go around to the south side of the house. And by that time, my two older ones were smart enough through fire safety to open the window and get out. There was a moment of panic because our 4-year-old, the windows were locked, and he was too traumatized to know what was going on. As a mother, being able to look through a window and not being able to get to him when I needed him is just heartbreaking. It's just it's heartbreaking."

The entire family escaped with only minor scrapes and bruises.

"Knowing that a couple inches this way, my kids would have lost their parents and know that a couple inches that way, we would've lost our kids," Cap said. "Possessions are possessions. But a life is a life."

However, Cap said one of their dogs has a fractured pelvis, and their 4-month-old kitten is missing.

"He was actually a comfort pet for our oldest son because we had to put down our 16-year-old dog about a week ago, so him not knowing where his kitten is right now is completely breaking his heart," Cap said.

Cap said the driver took off on foot after interacting with her inside her living room.

Ralston police were able to locate the driver shortly after. The Ralston Police Department said the driver was cited for DUI, leaving the scene, open container, no operator's license and criminal misdemeanor. Police also said the driver's BAC was .191, and the investigation is ongoing.

"Before the truck was even removed from the house, he was out of police custody," Cap said. "He was cited for misdemeanor charges and allowed to walk free."

Cap said she and her husband are self-employed, so, for now, their business is on pause, but she said the are extremely thankful to the first responders, contractors and support from the community.

The Cap family also said they hope their experience will lead to stricter punishments for intoxicated drivers.

If you want to donate to help the family, click the link here.

NAVIGATE: Home | Weather | Local News | National | Sports | Newscasts on demand |

Ralston family's home destroyed after alleged drunk driver crashes into it Thursday night (2025)
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