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Drunk driver smashes into Nanaimo townhouse

A homeowner was jolted awake Monday night when an SUV ended up in her living room.
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A path of broken trees and damaged landscaping leads to the boarded-over front wall of a townhouse an SUV crashed into Monday night. The driver was arrested for impaired driving and driving without a licence. (CHRIS BUSH/The News Bulletin)

A homeowner was jolted awake Monday night when a car crashed through her living room wall.

According to Nanaimo RCMP, the newer model black SUV was travelling southbound on Bowen Road when it crashed through a fence and into the front of the 32-year-old woman’s home at the corner of Bowen Road and Ashlar Avenue at about 11:25 p.m.

The woman wasn’t injured, but the vehicle caused major structural damage to her residence plus extensive damage to the property’s fence and landscaping.

The 23-year-old male driver of the car was still behind the wheel trying to reverse out of the yard when police arrived. They arrested him at the scene for impaired driving.

Officers learned there were two passengers in the vehicle who fled prior to police arriving.

The homeowner was offered short-term accommodations through City of Nanaimo Emergency Services, but declined the offer after a nearby neighbour stepped up and took her in for the night.

The driver provided two breath tests at Nanaimo RCMP detachment. Both were over the legal limit.

The driver was released on a promise to appear in Nanaimo provincial court at a later date. Police have recommended a charge of impaired driving. He was also issued a violation ticket for driving without a valid driver’s licence.