‘I thought a bomb had gone off’: Family shaken after vehicle slams into home

A family is picking up the pieces after a driver crashed into the front of their home. As CTV’s Hannah Schmidt explains, the driver also fled a police check.

An incredibly close call last Friday night has left a Cambridge, Ont. family shaken.

A vehicle crashed into the front of their home on Sherring Street while the daughter was inside.

“I thought a bomb had gone off,” Brooke told CTV News on Tuesday.

At around 11 p.m. on Dec. 19, Brooke said she was home enjoying a peaceful night playing cards with her friend when the unexpected happened.

“All of a sudden, I saw flashing lights in the window of my front room and I looked up and I saw a car not stop at the stop sign, run right through it and continue onto our lawn and then into our house,” she explained.

The impact caused significant damage to the front-end of the home, sending Christmas decorations flying.

“I had enough time to realize the car wasn’t going to stop, and that the car was coming directly at me and that there was a very high chance that I wasn’t going to be able to walk away from it,” Brooke said.

“There’s cracks in the foundation, obviously missing a window in the front,” Brooke’s mother, Tracy, said.

The Waterloo Regional Police Service said the driver had fled a R.I.D.E. check near King and Fountain streets before crashing into the house moments later.

“The individual just failed to stop at the time,” Const. Chris Iden said. “The specifics in that matter are still part of the investigation, but they just didn’t stop when they were supposed to.”

Police said no physical injuries were reported. A 23-year-old Kitchener man was arrested at the scene and is now facing criminal charges along with Highway Traffic Act related offences.

“That individual was charged with impaired driving charges as well as dangerous driving and failing to stop,” Iden explained.

“Christmas is certainly going to look a lot different this year,” Brooke said, laughing. “And there was a nice new hole for Santa to come through and give us presents. But we’re just grateful that everybody is okay.”

After a thorough safety inspection, the pair said were given the go-ahead by City of Cambridge officials to stay in their home on Tuesday.

According to officials, incidents like this are not isolated.

Waterloo Regional Police reported a total of 95 impaired driving charges back in October.

In November, a total of 92 charges were laid.

“It is not that common where people refuse to stop,” Iden said. “Actually, we get quite a bit of compliance and quite a bit of support from members of the public when we [conduct] R.I.D.E. programs out there. So, for this incident to have happened, it’s quite a rarity. The whole point of this is just to stop, have a conversation, just make sure that people are driving safely.”

Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) Waterloo Region is also putting out a message of safety over the holidays.

“Impaired driving remains a serious and preventable issue that has killed and injured thousands of Canadians,” Matt McKenna, president of MADD Waterloo Region said in an email statement to CTV News. “One in four fatal crashes on our roadways involves an impaired driver, and on average nine impaired driving-related charges are laid every hour in Canada. The consequences are severe, ranging from criminal charges and jail time to the permanent loss of a driver’s licence. Especially during the holiday season, when social gatherings and alcohol are more common, we urge everyone to plan ahead, never drive impaired and look out for one another. Choose a safe ride, speak up if someone should not be driving, and call 911 if you suspect an impaired driver. These simple actions save lives and help keep our roads safe.”

As for Tracy and Brooke, the focus now is on rebuilding over the holidays, while sharing a message of safety.

“If you’re going to have some drinks this Christmas time, everybody should have fun,” Tracy said. “Just be safe about it. Obviously, this is the worst-case scenario that could possibly happen. This could have turned out so differently for all of the individuals involved, including the driver.”