Residents in a Maryport street were left shocked when a car hit the side of one house before careering across the road and through the railings of a second.

The Jeep stopped about a foot away from a large bay window on the Lawson Street property.

The first house, where the wall was damaged, is up for sale.

Owner Reg Goodwin said any sale would now have to be delayed until the damage was assessed and repaired.

He added: “We had a viewing on Saturday. The people were travelling from six hours away and we could not get in touch in time to stop them coming.”

He described the moment the vehicle struck his house, with his family inside, including children aged 10 and six, inside.

“It sounded as though a train was coming through,” he said. “The whole house shuddered. My daughter was scared and quite upset. I rushed out the back to see what had happened.

“I couldn’t see the car until I came around the front. That is when I saw the car had gone through the railings at the house opposite us.

“Our wall can be repaired but the occupants there had a very lucky escape. One more foot and the car would have been in the house.”

He said residents had come out of their houses and were shocked by what they saw.


But he said everyone was aware the damage could have been much worse.

“There are always children out there,” he said.

“If this had been earlier in the day when schoolchildren were coming home, I dread to think what might have happened.”

The crash happened at 8pm last Friday.

Police said a 61-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of drink driving.

He has been bailed until February 2 pending further enquiries.