Driver Was Praying With Her Eyes Closed

JULY 12--A woman who plowed her car into the side of a Florida house told cops that she was praying with her eyes closed at the time of the crash, for which she was charged with reckless driving.

According to a police, Ruqiyyah Abdur-Raqeeb-Sadiq, 28, drove into the side of a home in Mary Esther, a city about 35 miles east of Pensacola. The motorist, cops say, blew through a stop sign and an intersection before going over a curb and a lawn to strike the residence Thursday morning.

When questioned by Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office deputy, Abdur-Raqeeb-Sadiq said that she had been praying with her eyes closed as the 2005 Ford hurtled toward the home.

Abdur-Raqeeb-Sadiq was transported to a local hospital for evaluation. Residents of the home were not injured.

Abdur-Raqeeb-Sadiq, who was alone in her car, was cited for reckless driving with property damage, a misdemeanor. The Fort Walton Beach resident is scheduled for a July 26 court appearance. (1 page)