Man who crashed into Waynesboro home this summer sent to jail

CHAMBERSBURG - Running a few minutes late, a Waynesboro woman was going through her morning routine one day in July when she heard a loud bang and felt her house shake.

The woman's house on North Grant Street had been hit by a vehicle driven by Peter Michael Smith, right into her living room.  As Smith was being sentenced Wednesday, the woman said that had she not been running late, she may have been in that very room. 

Smith, 27, was sentenced to between nine months and 23 months in Franklin County Jail on the charge of fleeing and eluding police.

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The woman and her husband were displaced for two months because of the damage to their home.

Smith crashed into another car just before crashing into the house, according to court documents.

The woman whose house was damaged was the only victim to speak during Smith's hearing, saying she felt "incredible anxiety" the moment the house was hit. 

"It's a miracle that one was seriously injured or killed that day," the woman said. 

The property damage in the case resulted in a restitution of more than $40,000 to be paid by Smith over time.

Smith will be on probation for three years after his jail time, which Franklin County Judge Angela Krom emphasized during the hearing.

"I can resentence you," Krom said, of potential consequences of Smith violating his sentence. "I can resentence you to state prison. I hope that is incentive."

Smith spoke during the hearing, calling his actions "brash decisions," and saying he was there to take responsibility.

"I don't think this incident shows the level of appreciation of life I have," Smith said.

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Krom reminded him that the people most affected by his actions were people without any connection to him, just going out their day.

"They've suffered, at a minimum, extreme inconvenience," Krom said. "At a minimum."

Smith was ordered to pay several fines and fees on top of the restitution, and Smith said he was hoping to be on work release at the jail to begin paying back the victims.

Smith was not in police custody at the time of the sentence, but was returned to custody after the sentence.

Charges including accidents involving damage to vehicle and property, reckless endangerment, receiving stolen property and more were dropped in the plea agreement.

Becky Metrick, 717-262-4762

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