Couple's escape as 4x4 drives into house
A BUILDER and his wife had a miraculous escape yesterday morning after a brand new 4x4 ploughed into their home as they slept.
A BUILDER and his wife had a miraculous escape yesterday morning after a brand new 4x4 ploughed into their home as they slept.
Victor Chapman, 61, said they were woken up at about 8am to the noise and vibration of what seemed like a “bomb” going off inside their home in Marks Tey, near Colchester, as the driver of the black Nissan Navara lost control and collided with the building.
Mr Chapman said that, to their amazement, the vehicle had careered through a row of five iron bollards - sending one flying “like a missile” - and a small garden wall before finally coming to rest halfway inside the house in London Road.
He said: “Apparently the gentleman driving it hit ice. My headboard is about four feet up from the spot where the truck installed itself in my house. It's just very, very lucky that no-one was hurt.”
Mr Chapman said his wife had ventured downstairs first to find out the extent of the damage and discovered the young driver walking around outside and talking on his mobile phone.
He said: “It was like a bomb had hit the house. It's a very well constructed house - I built it myself four years ago. The vehicle is a complete write-off.”
Most Read
- 1 Train services in Suffolk cancelled after horses escape onto tracks
- 2 Man found dead as police and fire service called to Ipswich home
- 3 'Quietly confident' - Felixstowe Indian restaurant goes alcohol-free
- 4 Man turned up naked on woman's doorstep after Euros Final
- 5 Plans for flats in former Ipswich pub progress
- 6 Mapped: Where parasite dangerous to dogs has been reported in Suffolk
- 7 Severe delays on A14 as lane blocked on Orwell Bridge
- 8 Busy Ipswich road reopens after small sinkhole is repaired
- 9 Car seized as driver tries to avoid parking fees at Stansted Airport
- 10 Why has my car been covered in dust?
The house, located about 300 metres from the Marks Tey A12 roundabout, will now be examined by structural experts to assess the extent of the damage.
Mr Chapman, who runs his own building firm, said he had spent much of yesterday making tea and coffee for engineers, firefighters and builders before the truck was finally removed from the wall at about 4pm.
Mr Chapman added: “I just thank my lucky stars that the driver wasn't hurt and the whole corner of the house didn't collapse.
“The room it hit is where we normally put the grandchildren to let them watch the Teletubbies in the morning.
“We couldn't get inside though, because the vehicle had knocked all the furniture and rubble forward and blocked the door.”
The gaping hole in the wall, measuring about eight feet by six feet, has now been covered over temporarily by council contractors and the corner of the house is being supported by struts.
Mr Chapman said the crash had been a “bit of a surprise” but had brought the New Year in “with a bang”.
Essex Police were unable to provide information about the incident last night.
