DESTROY IT YOURSELF
B&Q lorry driver smashes into end of terrace home
A COUPLE have been left homeless after a B&Q lorry crashed into their house in the middle of the night.
Dave and Hannah Hill were asleep when the truck destroyed their porch and part of the first floor wall early yesterday.
The crash damaged a front bedroom where Mr Hill’s young daughters from a previous marriage normally sleep, but luckily they were with their mother. The Hills dressed hurriedly, grabbed a few essential possessions and fled the house, managing to round up their two cats.
However they are now unable to use the end-of-terrace home in Harlow, Essex, and their Christmas plans, including hosting a dozen relatives on Boxing Day, have had to be shelved. They are unable to go inside the building until structural engineers say it is safe for them to do so.
Mr Hill, 31, who works in retail security, said: ‘At 3.15am there was a huge thud. I had no idea what it was. I came running downstairs and noticed a lorry in the corner of the house. The lorry driver was obviously coming round from the crash and climbed out of the passenger window.’ Mr Hill and his wife, a 28year-old teacher, have been offered hotel accommodation by B&Q.
A spokesman for the firm said: ‘Our fleet operators are co-operating fully with the police to understand what happened. Our heartfelt apologies go to the Hill family and we will support them however we can.’
Essex Police said: ‘The driver assisted us with our inquiries and there were no reported offences.’