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Lucky escape for pensioner as stolen car crashes into front room of Wolverhampton home

The occupants fled after the BMW knocked down the front wall of a house in Wolverhampton.

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The aftermath of the crash in Fallings Park, Wolverhampton

A pensioner has escaped uninjured after a stolen car ploughed through the front of his house – almost knocking it down in the process.

The crash happened at a terraced house in Croft Lane, in the Fallings Park area of Wolverhampton, at around 11pm on Thursday and a parked car and caravan were also badly damaged.

Police said that the occupants of the stolen BMW fled the scene and the vehicle has been recovered for further investigation.

A 78-year-old man known locally as Joe Downs, who has lived on the road for almost 50 years, was the only person in the house at the time and was upstairs at the time of the crash.

Barriers around the house, which was propped up by wooden supports

One ambulance and a paramedic officer attended the scene and West Midlands Ambulance Service say that Mr Downs was uninjured and discharged at the scene.

A spokesperson from West Midlands Fire Service said: “We sent two fire crews to the scene from Fallings Park and a technical rescue team.

“A fire engine and a brigade response vehicle attended, about 15 firefighters in total.

“The incident involved a car which drove into a front bay window. The property structure had been affected.

This caravan and a parked car were also damaged

"Our technical rescue team had been called to help assess the damage and sure up the property.

"We used wooden supports to make the property safe and the vehicle was removed from the property.”

Mr Downs’ daughter, who wished to stay anonymous, lives opposite her father and said: “I was shocked when I saw what had happened to dad’s house, it’s unbelievable.

“I didn’t see the crash itself but I saw the aftermath.

“My dad is now living with my sister nearby and I’m glad he wasn’t hurt.”

Firefighters stabilised the house using a wood shoring system. Photo: Technical Rescue/West Midlands Police

Kate Marston, 72, who has lived on the same road as Mr Downs for almost 50 years, said: "It's absolutely terrible what has happened.

"If he was sat in his living room like he usually would do, he'd have been killed.

"We've known him for a long time, he's never been any trouble and for this to happen to him is disgusting.

"This road is like a racetrack now with all the cars coming past, so something like this was bound to happen, we're glad he wasn't injured."

Kate's husband Doug Marston, 73, said: "We've known Joe for a long time and it's so sad to see what has happened. It's not worth thinking about what would have happened to him if he was downstairs."

Louis Burley, 33, who also lives on Croft Lane, said: "I missed the crash by about 10 minutes as I was coming home from a holiday and all I saw was this huge mess and the house completely battered. I'm so thankful he's alright, he's such a nice guy."

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