LIVONIA (WWJ) - One family in Livonia had a rude awakening early Friday morning after they were roused by car crashing through the front of their home.
WWj's Charlie Langton reported live from the scene where glass, bricks and debris littered the property off of Five Mile near I-275 after a male driver behind the wheel of a Ford Fusion careened full-force into the house before bursting into flames.
Homeowner Ilene Suchora, who has lived in the home for 21 years, told Langton that she and her husband, Thomas, were sleeping when the crash happened just a few feet away.
"A man came out of the park, went up over that sidewalk, came up my drive and smashed right into the front of my house," she explained. "Woke us up at 6 a.m."
According to Langton, the driver, who is apparently a resident in the same subdivision, told the police that he had a blackout just before the incident. Incredibly, he was unhurt, but is being medically evaluated.
Thomas, who is also a retired Detroit firefighter, told Langton he just couldn't believe what happened.
"Oh this is phenomenal, wow. What a bad thing to happen. It did so much damage inside, so much," he said. "[The driver's] all right, we're all right, I guess that's the important part. We're going to be out of the home for about three to six months."
Langton said the home is badly damaged after the car went through the front of the home and into the basement.
"There's a giant hole in the house, the mailbox is destroyed," Langton described. Debris along with shattered glass and bricks were strewn around the yard and Thomas' prized statue of a firefighter, that was in the path of the car, was smashed.
"It is quite a spectacle," Langton added.