A COUPLE were left shocked as a car crashed through their garden and smashed into the side of their house in Risca in the early hours of Tuesday morning.

The car had sped through Almond Avenue and into the house on Thistle Way, crashing onto its side at approximately 1.15am on Tuesday, July 27.

Bricks and glass were sent flying through the living room window and into the front porch of the house, causing potentially thousands of pounds of damage.

The house's residents, John and Heather Dance, were left shaken by the ordeal and are convinced that if they had been in the room at the time of the crash then they would have been killed.

Mrs Dance, 77, said: “It woke me at about one in the morning, there was a huge bang.

South Wales Argus:

Police and emergency services attended the scene after receiving a call at approximately 1.40am

“I thought it was a bomb going off.

“So we came downstairs and realised that it was a car had come into our wall.”

Mr Dance, 79, added: “It was the biggest bang I’ve ever heard in my life.

South Wales Argus:

Nobody was injured in the collision

“Our next door neighbour, pulled them (the driver) out of the car, and he was talking with them.

“Of course he ran off then, and my neighbour chased after him but lost him.

“But he recognised the car and recognised the lad, when the two police cars came he told them where the lad lived.”

South Wales Argus:

The car took out the garden wall and several trees and shrubs before smashing into the side of the house

Mrs Dance normally stays up late watching TV in the same spot that was covered in bricks and glass and considers herself extraordinarily lucky that she decided to go to bed early that night.

“Bricks from the top of the street ended up in our front room, which could have killed us,” said Mr Dance.

“If we'd been there an hour later than we were, we could have been dead or lacerated with glass.”

The neighbour who chased the driver said: “I was woken up by this almighty sound, this rumbling that seemed to go on forever.

“I looked out and saw this black Golf on its side with smoke everywhere – I thought it was going to go up.

“So I ran downstairs and I ran to the car and opened the boot and there was this person looking at me.”

South Wales Argus:

Heather Dance often spends her nights exactly where the bricks and glass landed

The neighbour, who does not wish to be named, tried to make sure the driver was okay before the man ran away.

The neighbour’s property was also damaged but they were more concerned with the effect it had on Mr and Mrs Dance.

“We've lost a bit of a wall, it's not that bad”, said the neighbour.

South Wales Argus:

The remains of the car that crashed into the home in Risca

“John and Heather’s garden was absolutely beautiful, it was their pride and joy.

“Their lives are upside down at the moment, they just want an easy life.

“It’s really hit them hard, you can physically see the stress it has caused.”

The garden wall of the property was smashed by the car and the front garden was wrecked.

The porch of the property was declared structurally unsafe and the brand new sofa suite in the front room was ruined.

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Mr and Mrs Dance were understandably unsettled by the incident which was made worse by the fact there was a delay in their insurance company getting someone to the property to assess the damage.

This meant that the couple were unable to use their front room as it remained littered with debris for several days.

However, people from the neighbourhood have helped to clear up the mess in the garden and the car was taken away swiftly.

South Wales Argus:

The scenes of destruction before the debris had been totally cleared outside

Mrs Dance said: “This is certainly unusual, we've never had anything happen in this on this estate like that before in 45 years of living here.

“This is quite a quiet estate except for cars screaming up down the road because we’re on a hill.”

A Gwent Police spokesman said: “We received a report of a road traffic collision involving one car in Thistle Way, Ty Sign, Risca at around 1.40am on Tuesday 27 July.

“Officers attended and a 27-year-old man from the Risca area was arrested on suspicion of driving while unfit through alcohol, but he was later released without charge.

“No injuries were reported although damage was caused to a wall.

“Enquiries are ongoing and anyone with information or has CCTV or dashcam footage from the area is asked to call Gwent Police, quoting log reference 2100263422.

“You can also contact us via social media on Facebook or Twitter, or you can report any information anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.”