General News
25 November, 2019
Lucky escape after stuck slipper catapults car
A CAMPERDOWN woman aged in her 80s was lucky to escape injury on Sunday after she lost control of her vehicle and it slammed into a neighbouring house.
A CAMPERDOWN woman aged in her 80s was lucky to escape injury on Sunday after she lost control of her vehicle and it slammed into a neighbouring house.
Senior Constable Tony McLachlan of Camperdown Police said the woman had intended to move her Mitsubishi Lancer to wash it at her Wilson Street home, when her slipper became caught on the accelerator pedal.
“She has reached down to try and free the slipper and the accelerator has engaged and the car has shot across the road at a fair speed,” he said.
“The vehicle has gone into a resident’s driveway directly across the road, where it has connected with a car in the driveway and the neighbour’s front fence.
“The vehicle has then gone through the fence, spun around a bit and ended up on the front verandah of the home.”
Camperdown SES Unit controller Colin Brian said the front fence was damaged along with a couple of rose bushes, two verandah poles, the front door and a front window.
“The occupant of the damaged house was not home at the time of the incident, which occurred at about 5pm,” he said.
“The impact made an incredible sound and was heard across the neighbourhood.
“It was quite incredible where the car came to a stop and that more damage wasn’t done.”
SES members cleared debris from the site, put pole braces under the verandah, boarded up the damaged front door and put plastic over the broken window.
Snr Const McLachlan said the driver of the vehicle was taken to the Camperdown hospital for a precautionary check and released a short time later.
In other news, Mr Brian advised three members of the Camperdown SES travelled to Princetown on Sunday to join the search for a missing British male who had been camping in the area with friends.
A further four Camperdown members joined the search yesterday (Monday). SES members from Cobden, Terang, Port Campbell, Colac, Port Fairy, Corio, Warrnambool, Otways and Heywood have also been part of the search.