Nanaimo RCMP are investigating after a vehicle left the Old Island Highway and plowed into a home, narrowly missing a 9-year-old girl sleeping inside.
The crash occurred just after 10 p.m. Sunday night near the intersection of Highland Boulevard and Cosgrove Crescent.
According to police, the car was travelling southbound on Highway 19A when the driver lost control and went across the highway, striking a parked car before lodging in the side of a home.
Police said the vehicle crashed into the home with such force that it became embedded in the foundation.
When police arrived, they found an woman and her dog inside a blue Mitsubishi Eclipse.
Const. Gary O’Brien with Nanaimo RCMP said the woman was helped out from the vehicle and transported to hospital with only minor injuries. Her dog was uninjured.
The home was occupied by two adults and their four children.
One of the children, a 9-year-old girl was sleeping in her bedroom which was located about 6 feet from where the vehicle came to rest.
“All the occupants of the home were safely escorted out and provided with emergency lodging at a local motel,” said O’Brien.
BC Hydro and Fortis crews attended to shut off all utilities at the home.
The vehicle was left in place until an engineering evaluation on the stability of the home could be conducted.
“Given the extent of structural damage to the home, it is simply astounding that the no one was injured in this incident,” said O’Brien.
While the reason the driver lost control is under investigation, police visited the driver at hospital and conducted an impaired driving investigation on the woman.
Nanaimo RCMP investigators are asking drivers to check their dashcam videos for any evidence relating to the crash, including pre-driving evidence.
If you have information that can assist, contact the Nanaimo RCMP non-emergency line at 250-754-2345, and quote file # 2021-44256.
