Chesterfield family left homeless when drunk motorist ploughed into their home - causing it to collapse
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The shaken householders were forced to move out of their Middlecroft home while structural repairs were undertaken as the front of their home caved in during the collision.
During the incident Stephen Woodvine’s Ford S-Max hurtled into the family vehicle which was parked on the drive – shunting it into the living room.
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Hide AdLuckily, the homeowners were elsewhere in the house at the time as bricks “flew” through the air and ended up in the hallway.
A member of the family, who did not want to be named, said her mother was now having therapy to get over the trauma of the experience.
Speaking about the incident on August 6, she said: “My mum phoned me at just before midnight screaming and crying down the phone.
"He crashed into my mum’s car and it went straight into the house.
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Hide Ad"She was in the passage at the time, going into the living room. Luckily enough she wasn’t in the living room, imagine the consequences if she was.
"And then as they dragged the car out of the house it just fell.”
After replacing everything that was destroyed in the living room and having the structure repaired the family are now back in their home.
However, they have been left mentally scarred.
Speaking about her mother the householder said: “She's not great but I think she’s receiving therapy. She won’t even sit in the living room anymore.”
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Hide AdWoodvine, 47, of Burbage Road, Staveley, admitted drink driving and failing to stop after an accident at Derby Magistrates Court.
He was handed 14 weeks jail suspended for two years, £85 court costs and a £154 victim surcharge.
Commenting on his sentence, the householder said: “It’s the most frustrating thing ever because we’ve been left with all this damage and he’s not been made to pay compensation.
"It’s just a fine, the justice system isn’t good enough. What happened was so traumatic and I don’t think people have any idea of the impact it has.
"We’ve lived here 22 years – I think it will take my mum a lot of getting over.”