Orana grandmother makes lucky escape after ute reverses into front room

An elderly Albany woman has had a lucky escape after a Toyota HiLux crashed into the front of her home in Orana on Wednesday afternoon. Emergency services were called to the crash on Lennard Street about 1.30pm. Residents witnessed the white utility reversing at speed across the street and slamming into the front of a home, destroying the front room. The home is owned by Elizabeth Goldsworthy, 76, who was shaken up by the incident but not injured after being in the kitchen when the car slammed into the front room. Neighbour Augusta Saunders saw the incident unfold from her window across the street and made the initial call to police after the HiLux reversed at full speed into Ms Goldsworthy’s house. Police arrived along with firefighters and State Emergency Services and Western Power. The person behind the wheel of the car is believed to be a minor who was a neighbour and reportedly escaped without injury from the smash. The child’s family declined to comment. Ms Goldsworthy was in her kitchen at the time and heard only a spinning of wheels before she heard a loud crash. The destroyed front room of the house Ms Goldsworthy has resided in since 1980, is often occupied by her grandchildren. Her granddaughter Emma Brady, spoke on behalf of Ms Goldsworthy. “She’s OK, she’s just a bit shaken up,” Ms Brady said. “She heard the wheels spinning, and then bam. “Nan was just shocked, it’s very lucky no one was hurt.” After firefighters assessed the damage to the house and how to remove the car, power to the home was cut by Western Power. The Hilux was pulled on a winch from the house, with bricks on its tray and debris dragging behind it. In the 90s, Toyota ran a series of ad campaigns spruiking the HiLux as “unbreakable” and images of the ute’s tray show that tagline wasn’t far from the truth. The house stayed upright with windows bent and ceiling collapsing, there was a visible ripple of damage to the house while a large portion of the surrounding fence has been destroyed. Witnesses milled around surveying the house and were shocked at the damage caused.