Couple distraught after BMW smashes into home

A YOUNG couple have been forced from their home after a BMW sports car smashed through their living room wall.

Sophie Hutchby and partner Ashley Smith were not at home when the car left the road, crashed through railings and demolished the ground floor wall of their Borrowash house, as well as damaging two other properties.

But they returned shortly afterwards to see their newly-decorated lounge looking like a building site.

Mr Smith, 24, rushed in through the rubble to rescue their English bull terrier, Bowy, which he found trembling and covered in dust.

Surveying the destruction with dismay, Miss Hutchby said she was thankful they had not been at home when the crash happened.

The 21-year-old, who has rented the Nottingham Road terraced house with Mr Smith for a year, said: "I feel shocked and angry.

"I'd been talking to the girl [the driver] just an hour before it happened.

"This was my first house and we had just finished decorating the living room.

"We had just properly settled in.

"There was about £1,500 worth of television in there as well as the sofa, which are now in pieces."

Miss Hutchby has now gone to stay at her parents' home, also in Borrowash.

Her mother, Linda, said she was grateful the pair had not been hurt.

She said: "I am just thankful they weren't in at the time. Sophie wasn't going to go out because she had work the next morning.

"This is the sort of thing you see in the papers and would never imagine it would happen to you."

A man living in one of the neighbouring properties, which was also damaged in the crash, was sitting on his living room sofa watching television at the time and had felt the impact.

The crash also caused a window in another property to smash and damaged a lamppost.

The fire service, police and paramedics were called to the scene at about 1.30am and the road was closed.

A spokesman said the car "had lost control and struck three houses, causing serious structural damage to the properties".

Ken Oldsworth, who lives opposite the scene of the crash, arrived home just minutes after it happened.

The 52-year-old, who works as a delivery driver for the Three Chefs takeaway in Chaddesden, said that, after finishing his shift, he spent five minutes chatting to his boss before heading home.

He said: "I would've been in the crash if I'd left on time. Someone was looking down on me.

"The car wiped out 30ft of railing and hit the houses before ended up back the road. Its two front wheels came off – one was 40ft up the road.

"I saw the guy who lives there go in, even though the police tried to stop him, and come out carrying his dog."

Tony Swain, who lives three doors down from Miss Hutchby's home, had been asleep on his sofa at the time of the crash.

He had not heard it but was woken by his girlfriend minutes later.

Mr Swain, 34, said: "Everybody is just shocked by it. Luckily, they were out at the time and it's good it didn't hit our place as I was asleep on the sofa at the time."

The 19-year-old female driver, who was driving towards Risley, was taken to hospital with two women passengers to be treated for minor injuries.

Investigations are still ongoing.

Anyone who saw the car in Nottingham Road or witnessed the collision should call police on 101 and ask for PC Deanna Hyde.