Car crashes into Rolleston house: Driver charged, due to appear in court

• A car crashed through a couple’s home in Rolleston, Canterbury but they walked away without serious injuries.
• Llewellyn Venter freed his wife, Sue-ann Venter, from under the vehicle
• A man has now been charged in relation to the incident

A 35-year-old man has been charged after a car ploughed through a Canterbury home in the early hours of Saturday morning.

The Herald reported that Llewellyn Venter awoke in his house on Rolleston’s Shillingford Boulevard at 3.30am to use the bathroom.

As he made his way back to his bed just minutes later, he heard a loud rumbling which he compared to “thunder rolling in”, before a massive bang rang out – and a car covered himself and his wife, Sue-ann Venter.

Venter was pinned down by a doorframe but quickly went into “survival mode” and managed to free himself.

He immediately started screaming for his wife but was initially greeted with silence.

After the third shout, Sue-ann Venter finally answered.

Llewellyn Venter discovered she was underneath the wheel of the vehicle, which had crashed through their bedroom.

Lewellyn and Sue-ann Venter outside their damaged in Rolleston.

Sue-ann Venter said she woke up to “pressure on her chest” and thought she was “going to die”.

“I don’t know how or with God being there with me, we managed to lift the car off and pull her out,” Llewellyn Venter said.

Police confirmed this morning that a 35-year-old is due to appear in the Christchurch District Court next month, charged with careless operation of a vehicle and breath alcohol level over 400mcg per litre of breath.

Llewellyn and Sue-ann Venter feel lucky to be alive after the accident.

After the incident police said the driver was “in moderate condition”.

Venter said he was “worried about him as well”,

“It’s not nice having an accident like that,” he said.

The Venters are currently staying with friends and hope to find a new rental home this week.

Llewellyn Venter is hopeful his family’s story will serve as a reminder for people to drive carefully and think twice about the decisions they make behind the wheel.