Car smashes into house bathroom
Driver charged with careless driving and driving with excess breath-alcohol
Awoman has described the terrifying moment a car crashed into her mother’s home in Tauranga, destroying an en suite shower. Carol Stirling and her 74-year-old mother were sitting inside their Lakes Boulevard home around 4.30pm on Wednesday when they heard a loud noise coming down the road.
“You could hear the car coming then a bang and the whole house shook. It was quite terrifying. The noise was a like a shriek.
“We jumped up, rushed outside, couldn’t see anything at the front of the house but went around the side and saw the car there and rang 111.”
Police, ambulance and fire services were sent to the crash and one woman was treated for minor injuries.
Stirling said it was unbelievable no one was seriously hurt.
“It’s actually really scary . . . there are so many people that walk on the pavement around here, the bus stop is right there . . . she could have killed people.”
The car damaged part of the fence on the property and flung a bollard about 10m away before crashing into the en suite.
“The shower is completely written off. The whole bathroom will probably have to be replaced.
“The toilet is only a few feet away and [mum] could have easily been in the bathroom at the time. She’s not very happy. She went and got a Lotto ticket last night.”
Stirling said she was told by builders the bathroom probably wouldn’t be able to be repaired until mid-february.
“For her age it’s just a big inconvenience not being able to have her bathroom in use.”
A police spokeswoman said one person has been summoned to court for careless driving and driving with excess breathalcohol.