Above: The melted Nissan coupe after it crashed into a Springvale house, carries the numberplate ‘flamez’.By Sarah Schwager
A SPRINGVALE man woke to find a car on fire in his driveway after it had slammed into his garage on Saturday night.
Simon Birch said he had been sleeping in the adjoining bedroom when he heard a loud noise.
He said a car had cleaned up the front fence and smashed through the garage’s brick wall.
“I leapt out of to see what had made so much racket,” Mr Birch said.
“There was stuff everywhere.”
Police said the collision happened about 9.25pm on Saturday, when it is believed the vehicle lost control and mounted the curb along Bernay Court.
It is alleged the Nissan coupe then crashed through the garage wall hitting a car inside, before ploughing through the garage door and coming to rest in the driveway.
The car then burst into flames.
The car’s number plate, ironically, was ‘flamez’.
“I saw the guy wandering around,” Mr Birch said.
“He tried to walk out the front gate. At that stage flames were licking the car.
“I ran over and grabbed him before he could get away. By that time the police had arrived.”
A 27yearold Springvale man is expected to be charged on summons.
Both the driver and Mr Birch were uninjured.
Police said a gas meter in front of the garage was sheared off in the incident, which ignited the gas causing the fire.
Springvale CFA extinguished the flames and the gas and electricity departments, building surveyor and towing service also attended.
Police said the driver was uninsured.
Mr Birch, 30, said for this reason it would most likely be some time before the garage is fixed.
“The door’s mangled and bent out of shape. The car’s a mess, I had to take it to the repairers,” he said.
Mr Birch had been home alone but said he was feeling better now after his rude awakening.
“I’m fine now. I was a bit shaken up to start with.”
Police said the driver faced charges including driving in a dangerous manner, driving at a high speed, careless driving and racing on a highway.
