Three injured as car crashes into house

A woman and man stand side-by-side outside of a house with a car buried in the wallImage source, Leanne Rinne/BBC
Image caption,

Kacper and Pamela (pictured) were shunted by the car

  • Published

A car has crashed into a house in Eastbourne, burying itself halfway into the building.

The crash happened at about 19:00 BST on Wednesday in Tideswell Road, opposite The Beacon shopping centre car park.

Residents Kacper and Pamela said they were watching TV on a sofa inside the ground floor flat when the car shunted them. They were taken to hospital.

Another resident told the BBC the property had been struck several times in the past.

Image source, Dan Jessup
Image caption,

The black car hit a residential property on Wednesday evening

The driver and two people inside the property "suffered minor injuries", Sussex Police said.

"We don't know if [the building] is going to collapse," said Geraldine, who has lived in the flat above for four years. "All of our belongings are in there."

"We still don't know when, if, how we're going to be able to get anything.

"At the moment, I am without a home or any belongings. It is pretty tough," she said.

Image source, Kacper
Image caption,

The car caused significant damage to the property

The car could not be easily removed, East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service (ESFRS) said.

Sussex Police said the road would be closed for some time while building surveyors assessed the damage.

The Beacon car park cannot be used during the closure, the force added.

Image source, Dan Jessup
Image caption,

Several emergency service crews attended the scene of the crash

Image source, Dan Jessup
Image caption,

Only the rear end of the car could be seen sticking out of the property

Image source, Dan Jessup
Image caption,

Police, ambulance and fire services responded to the incident

Sussex Police urged people to avoid the area.

Police and the ambulance service attended the scene on Wednesday evening, with photos of showing four fire engines present at one point.

Fire crews said they made the area safe and then handed the situation over to police to manage the recovery.

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