Car crashes through bedroom of house
An Invercargill grandmother got a carsized shock when the exterior wall to a spare bedroom was demolished by an out-of-control car.
The crash happened on Moray Cres, in Grasmere, about 11am yesterday. It is believed an elderly man was the driver.
A St John spokesman said the driver was taken by ambulance to Southland Hospital in a moderate condition.
Pat Ogilvy, who owns the property with her husband, Stuart, was at home at the time with her granddaughter Emelia.
They had been in the bedroom just minutes before the crash, but were hanging clothes out at the rear of the house when it happened. Pat said it was a huge shock. ‘‘I just remember hearing a horrific noise, a crash, bang and hearing glass smash as the window shattered.
‘‘People then came from everywhere to help the driver, and to make sure Emelia and I were OK.’’
Stuart felt a touch confused as he rounded the corner to his house and saw the red car.
‘‘When I saw the shape and colour of the car, I thought ‘hang on, that looks like our car’.
‘‘But when I got closer I realised it wasn’t.’’
For a local lines worker Alex Humphrey, the crash made his Monday one to remember.
‘‘I was working just down the street and remember looking up after hearing the car go through a wheelie bin and speeding towards the house.
‘‘I reckon the car was going at around 50kmh when it hit the house.’’
At that point, Humphrey ran over to check on the driver and see whether anyone was in the room.
‘‘I went into the house and found the owner safe and away from the crash. At that point, I went to the car, checked on the driver, turned the car off and put the handbrake on.
Stuart Ogilvy said the house was fine to stay in. ‘‘The crash didn’t impact the living area or the master bedroom, and the toilet still works. The neighbours have also been great, offering us their shower to use.’’
A builder started work to repair the damaged wall yesterday afternoon.