A FAMILY had a lucky escape after a car crashed into their home.

A silver BMW 3 Series had crashed through a garden wall, across the garden and into the front of the house in Bruntoft Avenue, West View, Hartlepool at just after 5am on Saturday morning.

Percy Charakupa, 40, who was in his house with his wife Rufaro, 30, three children Shaniz, 10, Chantelle, five, Cherise, two, and his brother Fredrick, 34, was woken by a huge bang.

Percy, a student, said the vehicle had ploughed past his children’s trampoline in the front garden and it could have resulted in tragedy if it had happened during the day.

He said: “It could have been a lot worse. If this happened during the day my kids could have been playing outside. We are just grateful no-one was outside.

“Our little girl is still shaken by it now. Obviously the bang woke them all up.”

The driver fled the scene but Cleveland Police say a man is “helping police with inquiries”.

A spokesman for Stranton Fire Station said: “The car had gone through the wall, across the garden and into the house.

“It had cracked the wall of the house, but luckily it hasn’t gone through.

“The car was in exactly the same place when we arrived.”

Structural engineers from Housing Hartlepool were due to visit the property today(Sunday, October 21) to assess the damage.

A Cleveland Police spokesman said: “We received reports that a silver BMW 3 series car had crashed into the front of a property.

“The driver of the car wasn’t on the scene when we arrived, but we have since located a man, believed to be the driver, who is helping police with inquiries.”