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Car Slams Into Home Near Walnut Creek

WALNUT CREEK (CBS SF) – A vehicle crashed into a house late Sunday night in unincorporated Contra Costa County, according to the California Highway Patrol.

According to a CHP dispatcher, at 11:34 p.m. the CHP received a report of a crash in the 2400 block of San Miguel Drive across from Margaret Drive near Walnut Creek.

According to the dispatcher, a white Mercedes-Benz crashed into a house.

The Mercedes Benz ripped through the front of the home, going in one end of the room and coming out the other.

Peter Zwart, the owner of the home, said family was sleeping just feet away from the crash.

"My wife was asleep. My kids were over there and I was in living room," said Zwart.

The car came around the curve and lost control, taking out the mailbox and hitting a fence before plowing straight into the home. It narrowly missed a tree in the yard.

"There's no street lights. I think the guy got spooked by another car coming up here," said Zwart. "That's why he did what he did"

Crews responded and the scene was cleared at 1:14 a.m.

CHP checked out the driver on scene. Officers said it doesn't appear he was impaired. They are investigating if speed was a factor.

It is not the first time homeowners along San Miguel Road have been left cleaning up the mess after a driver plowed into their property.

The speed limit on the curvy section of the street in unincorporated Walnut Creek is 20 miles per hour, but neighbors said drivers routinely blow past their homes at much higher speeds and sometimes end up in their yards.

Neighbor Lynn Aspatore said her mailbox has been run over time and again.

"This is a very popular address for a lot of accidents," said Aspertore. "It is just incredible!"

"I am just upset people disregard the speed limit like this," said Zwart. "If he was driving a non-fancy car, I'm not sure how he would have gotten out. He came out unscathed, which is great for him."

No arrests were made and there were no injuries reported, according to the dispatcher.

The front of the home was boarded up Monday morning. The homeowner did not offer an estimate of how much the repairs would cost.

© Copyright 2017 by CBS San Francisco and Bay City News Service. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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