Paul Kelly says he thought a small aeroplane had hit the house because he didn't hear any braking. Photo / Brett Phibbs
A Sandringham couple woke to what they thought was a small plane crash yesterday morning - but instead found a car had smashed into their house and stopped just metres from where they had been sleeping.
Paul Kelly and his wife Jameela were shaken awake by what they
thought was an "explosion" at their Sandringham Rd house just after 3am.
"I didn't hear an engine or squealing of brakes so didn't think it was a car ... We thought it was something hitting the roof," Mr Kelly said.
He opened the bedroom window and found a car "impaled" under the balcony and close to their bedroom.
"I ... looked down and thought [the occupants] must be dead."
The car is thought to have been driven down Reimers Ave before crossing the road, crashing into the Kellys' car, which was parked in the driveway, and bouncing off into the house.
The Kellys' car was written off and the damage to the house was so bad engineers were still assessing late yesterday whether it was safe to live in.
"The room is an add-on so it's being propped up, but to be honest the whole thing might need bowling," said Mr Kelly.
He said the family, who have lived in the house for 12 years, wouldn't dwell on what happened.
"I'm very positive - we're not dead. It's because we were elevated."
He told the Herald his 2-year-old son Ethan often came into the parents' room at night but had stayed in his room and didn't even wake.
Auckland City police spokeswoman Noreen Hegarty said a stolen car had been dumped nearby but a police patrol car had stopped and arrested one of the four occupants.
Three others in the car fled and crashed into the Kellys' house a short time later. No one in the car was injured and a 17-year-old was arrested. Two other youths are still being sought by police.
