'There was debris that was on her bed': Car crashes through Nanaimo house, narrowly misses child
Police are investigating after a vehicle plowed into a house in Nanaimo, B.C., narrowly missing a nine-year-old girl.
The crash happened at approximately 10:30 p.m. Sunday, when the driver lost control of her vehicle while heading southbound on the Old Island Highway.
The car sailed over an embankment and struck a parked car before travelling across a lawn and into the house near the corner of Highland Boulevard and Cosgrove Crescent.
"There was a number of people in the home and nobody was injured," said Nanaimo RCMP spokesperson Const. Gary O'Brien. "The car came to rest about six feet from where a young girl was sleeping."
Police say the driver was taken to hospital with minor injuries. A dog that was in the car was not injured.
An impaired driving investigation has been launched, O'Brien said.
An impaired driving investigation has been launched in the wake of the crash, according to the Nanaimo RCMP. (CTV News)
Jeff Heaslip says he got home from work around 9:45 p.m. and was just getting into bed when the car crashed through his daughter's bedroom.
"By the time I put my head on the pillow, I heard a crash and then went and looked out the window and heard a big crash," he said Monday.
Heaslip thought a tree had fallen on the house.
"I came into my daughter's room and that's where the car was," he said. "There was debris that was on her bed. I grabbed her and then told everybody to get out of the house."
Police say the driver was taken to hospital with minor injuries. (Jeff Heaslip)
The vehicle remained lodged in the side of the home Monday morning.
"At this point, the vehicle is still in the house," O'Brien said. "Fortis and [BC] Hydro and fire responded. They shut off all the utilities to the home. They're just figuring out now how to safely get the car out of the house."
Heaslip and his four children are staying in a hotel until engineers can assess the damage to the building.
"We're trying to gather up as much of our belongings as we could," said Heaslip, who thanked the community and first responders for their support.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Trudeau acknowledges charges in Nijjar killing, calls for commitment to democracy
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has acknowledged the charges laid Friday in relation to the murder of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
Pastrnak scores winner, Bruins down Leafs 2-1 in overtime in Game 7
Sheldon Keefe told his players hockey history would remember them one way or another.
No proof man lied to brother about number of kittens born in litter, B.C. tribunal rules
A man was denied a $5,000 payout from his brother after a B.C. tribunal dismissed his claim disputing how many kittens were born in a litter.
Bodies recovered in Mexico likely 2 Australians, 1 American who went missing: officials
Three bodies recovered in an area of Baja California are likely to be those of the two Australians and an American who went missing last weekend during a camping and surfing trip, the state prosecutor’s office said Saturday.
Bombarded with spam texts? Stats show the problem is getting worse in Canada
In particular, messages that involve phishing — an attack where a scammer tries to trick the recipient into clicking a malicious link, downloading malware or sharing sensitive information — are on the rise.
Trudeau 'absolutely' best person to lead the Liberals in next election: LeBlanc says
Cabinet minister Dominic LeBlanc insists he's not planning a leadership campaign to head the Liberal party, should current leader and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau resign, seemingly quashing rumours he's planning to make a move for his boss' job.
Princess Anne lays wreath at B.C. veteran's cemetery; receives 21-gun salute
Princess Anne paid tribute to veterans buried at a cemetery in British Columbia today, laying a wreath to honour the more than 2,500 military personnel and family members buried there.
Macklem tries to stay out of the fray as MPs do their best to use him to score points
Bank of Canada governor Tiff Macklem navigates a political minefield every time he testifies before the House of Commons finance committee.
Amid climate change warnings, Canadians lukewarm on electric vehicles
Amid scientists' warnings that nations need to transition away from fossil fuels to limit climate change, Canadians are still lukewarm on electric vehicles, according to a study conducted by Nanos Research for CTV News.