Home destroyed by car

The crash destroyed the living room of Alan Messiter's house, right. Photo / Grahame Clark

A 15-year-old driving home from a PlayStation all-nighter misjudged a sharp bend, flew "through the air" and crashed into an Auckland house early yesterday.

Shivneel Chand, who is on his learner's licence, ran home and was later taken to Middlemore Hospital, where he had six stitches in his head.

"I didn't know what to do. I was shocked. I just ran," he said. "The last thing I remember is the car flying through the air and all the glass smashing. I think I blacked out."

The owner of the house on Hillside Rd, Papatoetoe, Alan Messiter, 24, said he woke to "a huge smash" as the car ploughed through a brick wall and into his living room about 7.30am.

"The whole house shook. I couldn't believe it when I saw what had happened."

Witnesses estimated Chand was travelling at more than 100km/h in the 50km/h zone.

He avoided a tree and a power pole but took out a phone box and fence before careering on to Messiter's property.

"The driver must be stupid, because he ran off but his mobile number was written on the window," said Messiter.

"I called him and said, 'Bro, your car is in my house, can you come get it?' He is going to have a massive bill to pay."

Messiter's cousin was meant to have slept on the couch on Friday night but changed his plans at the last minute. The couch was along the house's front wall and would have taken the full force of the collision.

"It's pretty lucky. His plans changed at the last minute. It was a fluke," Messiter said.

Residents on Hillside Rd said boy racers were a problem. A near-neighbour of Messiter's house has been hit by a car twice in the past three years.

Chand said a friend was driving in front of him but denied they were racing. He said his friend fled without stopping.

"He's not a true friend, I've found out now," the Aorere College student said.

Police have yet to talk to Chand, who is planning to sit his restricted licence test next week. His father Satendra described his only son as a "good driver".

"I don't know how this happened. He makes this trip all the time, goes to his friend's house, gets some PlayStation games and comes back. This time he decided to stay the night.

"We will have a big talk. I'm not worried about the car, mainly the house. I don't know how we will manage to afford this."

Messiter said insurance assessors told him he may have to move out for up to four months because the foundations of his house were damaged.