Car narrowly misses retiree's house after plunging down bank

A smashed-up car sits just a metre away from Alice Ottley's house, after the driver lost control on New Year's morning. Photo / Northern Advocate

The new year started with a bang for an elderly Whangarei woman when an out-of-control car flew off the road, crashed into a bank and stopped a metre short of her house.

Retiree Alice Ottley was lying in bed when she heard a crash and a bang, soon after midnight on New Year's Day.

At first Mrs Ottley, whose house is below road level, thought the noise was kids throwing stones on the roof.

But she answered a knock on her door and came out to see a smashed car perched over her retaining wall, just a metre from her lounge. Windscreen glass was scattered everywhere, water was pouring from a broken pipe, and the property became alive with emergency services personnel.

Police, firefighters and ambulance staff were soon followed by plumbers and electricians.

Mrs Ottley said she believed there were three young men in the car and it had lost control while taking a corner in damp conditions.

The car had smashed through a safety fence running along the footpath, crashed into a steep bank on Mrs Ottley's property, and rolled 15m towards the house. The car was finally stopped by an aluminium pole holding up a shade sail.

The only damage was done by the pole as it bent and smashed into the power box.

Mrs Ottley said it was lucky the car or the debris from the wall did not come in through her bedroom window.

"I'm fortunate that the house isn't damaged. The section is, but no one was hurt so that's good," Mrs Ottley said.

And she had some ideas about how to deal with the driver and his friends.

"I think they need a good spanking and be made to clear up the mess because I have to get help to do that," Mrs Ottley said.

She hopes the council will install a steel barrier to replace the damaged fence.