Lucky escape for driver after top storey window falls on car

A damaged car on Lorne St in central Auckland after a window panel fell from a nearby building. Photo / Bryce Rayner

The owner of a vehicle badly damaged after a freak accident in central Auckland might be counting their lucky stars regardless of their insurance bill.

Photos from a Herald reader show the aftermath on Lorne St, in the central city, after a window fell from the fifth storey of a building, plummeting up to 15 metres on to a car parked below.

The window was attached to the building where ICL Education Group has classes. A staff member there said the window had just fallen from the building, because of strong winds.

The windscreen of the car was seriously damaged, but the driver isn't believed to have been in the car at the time.

Eye witness Eric Yu said the car is still sitting on the street unoccupied, while police make inquiries and Fire and Emergency clean up the glass.

The window panel fell an estimated 10 to 15 metres on to the car in Lorne St. Photo / Bryce Rayner

Yu said the window was about a metre long and appeared to have been made of "very heavy glass".

"The car is still parked there. The owner probably hasn't seen it."

Fortunately nobody was injured in the smash.

"If somebody was sitting inside the car that would be horrible," he said.

"The car window is completely smashed but it's made of reinforced glass so it didn't break, it's just badly cracked."

Fire and Emergency northern communications shift manager Scott Osborne said crew had attended, and requested police and Auckland Council assistance.

The glass pane appeared to have fallen between 10 and 15 metres, he said.

A tow truck had been called to remove the car.