Residents of a quiet Westminster street were jolted awake at 4:30am by a deafening crash as a car careered into a terraced house, leaving bricks scattered and the vehicle embedded in the wall.
Eyewitnesses described the terrifying moment the out-of-control vehicle struck the property, with one neighbour admitting: "I thought it was an earthquake at first."
Chaos in the Early Hours
The impact was so severe it sent debris flying across the road, with the car's bonnet completely crushed against the house's facade. Emergency services rushed to the scene on Elverton Street, close to the Tate Britain gallery, where they found the driver - miraculously unharmed - still in the vehicle.
"I heard this enormous bang and ran to the window," local resident Michaela Jones told reporters. "The car was halfway through the wall - I couldn't believe what I was seeing."
Lucky Escape for Sleeping Family
Most shocking was the revelation that a family, including young children, were asleep in the upstairs bedroom directly above where the car struck. Firefighters had to carefully assess the structural damage before allowing them to leave the property.
London Fire Brigade station commander Gary Blount confirmed: "This could have been far worse. The downstairs room took the full impact, but thankfully no one was in that part of the house at the time."
Investigation Underway
Police have cordoned off the area while investigations continue into what caused the driver to lose control. Early reports suggest speed may have been a factor on the residential street, which has a 20mph limit.
The incident has reignited local concerns about road safety in the area, with residents calling for additional traffic calming measures to prevent similar accidents in future.
