Crash leaves London intersection looking like a 'war zone'

Blackfriars neighbourhood wakes to major damage From CTV London’s Brent Lale – A car left a path of destruction as it drove at high speed into hydro poles, a building and a house.

LONDON, Ont. -- Clean-up is underway after a car travelling at high speed lost control, knocking down two hydro poles then hitting the side of the Society Cafe, spinning backward and launching into a house across the road.

The vehicle was heading northbound on Wilson Avenue at Blackfriars Street around 3:30 a.m. Sunday when the crash happened.

A woman who lived in the house at 43 Blackfriars was reportedly uninjured, but understandably shaken, as the vehicle came very close to where she was sleeping.

Neighbour David Feenstra says, "Her head was a couple of feet from where the car stopped, she's lucky to be alive."

The London Fire Department says one person was taken to hospital and firefighters had to force their way in to pull the woman from the home.

Fire officials Tweeted that a structural engineer has been called in to assess the safety of the home.

Feenstra, who was first on scene, says neighbours' first reaction was to check for a gas leak, "It sounded like a bomb went off, it really did...It looked like the building exploded."

Rob Dore, who held a grand opening for Society Cafe just last week, says "I can't believe the destruction...I can't get inside the store so it's hard to make an assessment."

He plans to reopen his shop, and says he's just glad no one was hurt.

Witnesses tell CTV News the vehicle involved was a white Mercedes and the driver appeared impaired, but police say they are still investigating.

London police say the driver was arrested at the scene and taken to Victoria Hospital as a precaution before being released into police custody.

The area of Wilson Avenue and Blackfriars Street is closed as the investigation continues.