January 29, 2021 5.25 pm This story is over 38 months old

Woman faces £8k repair bill after drink driver crashes into her house

A man has been arrested
Paula Everington outside her house which a car crashed into in the early hours of January 28.

A Lincoln woman has spoken of her shock and disbelief after a car crashed into her house while she was watching television in the early hours of Thursday morning.

Paula Everington isn’t usually up as late as she was on January 28, but something caught her eye on TV. She was sat on the sofa in the living room when she heard a “massive bang” shortly before 12.30am.

She jumped up and ran out of the room without stopping to look and when she opened her front door, she saw the car that had crashed into her house and caused around £7,000 to £8,000 worth of damage.

The car was left badly damaged after crashing into the house on Brant Road in Lincoln.

The front wall was badly damaged.

Lincolnshire Police and Lincolnshire Fire & Rescue attended the scene, but fortunately the occupants were uninjured. Fire crews also made sure the property was safe.

A 40-year-old man has since been arrested on suspicion of drink driving.

He failed to supply a drugs wipe sample and was taken to hospital for treatment on injuries, which are not believed to be life-threatening.

There were bricks, glass and debris everywhere after the incident.

The front wall, front door and windows were all badly damaged.

Paula was left feeling shocked and she told The Lincolnite: “I was on the right-hand side of the sofa. Had I been on the left-hand side I would’ve been covered in glass and bits of brick.

“I jumped up and went into the hallway and shouted up to my husband Andrew, who was asleep as he was due to get up at 5am.

“I am not sure how it happened. It must have come past the island and through forward on and the car somehow spun and was back facing the way it came from.

“When I went back into the living room there were bricks and glass everywhere and everything was covered in brick dust and debris.

“The brick pillar at the top of the drive was taken out completely, as well as two sections of fence.”

This was just some of the damage done to the inside the property.

The brick pillar at the top of the drive was taken out completely during the incident.

Paula added that the internal damage can be claimed through insurance. She doesn’t have building insurance, but said police told her she can claim third party.

A builder came out on Thursday to have an initial look and boarded up the windows. He is returning to the property on Saturday to rebuild the wall.

The cracked front door, as well as some windows, will also need replaced.

Paula’s daughter-in-law Sophie Priestley set up a fundraiser to try and raise funds to help with repair costs.

Debris and damage outside the property.

More of the damage outside the property.

Paula said: “Everybody has been so kind. I was stopped by a neighbour who handed me £100 in cash as he just wanted to help.

“I want to give my eternal thanks to the police officers and fire crews. One officer called Chris should have finished his shift at 11pm the previous evening and it was 3.30am when he finally left here. I cannot praise them enough.”