Homeowners Return From Vacation, Find Car in Bedroom
A Connecticut family came home from vacation to find an interesting new addition to their home -- an overturned car in their master bedroom.
When the Scalzo family first spotted their Meriden, Conn., home surrounded by police cars and fire engines upon their return from a weekend trip, they'd immediately suspected a fire.
But upon closer inspection, it was obvious the cause of the commotion was the car that had flipped right onto their bedroom, shattering both the facade and interior of the room. Police reported that the driver of the car had crashed into the Scalzo's home after losing control of his car when trying to avoid hitting an animal.
"Just a complete disaster," Nick Scalzo told NBC Connecticut. "It will be a mess for a while."
Despite the wreckage however, the Scalzos were lucky. According to Connecticut television station WFSB-3, the crash happened at 6:30 p.m. -- only 20 minutes before the family returned from vacation. Had the family come home earlier, they could have been seriously hurt or even killed.
"The car was right where the plastic is," Gina Scalzo told WFSB-3, pointing to the debris in her bedroom. "I'm thankful we weren't in the house."
Why Home Insurance Matters
Police speculate that the accident has caused "thousands of dollars" in damage to the home. Thankfully, however, this kind of crash is covered under most basic home insurance policies, according to insurance adviser Sol Liowitz from Prime Insurance Agency. Liowitz says the incident is covered under the "fallen objects" category under basic home insurance, adding that incidents like these are unfortunately not that uncommon.
"We've actually seen this happen a few times," Liowitz told AOL Real Estate. "It doesn't happen too often, but it does happen."
A similar incident occurred just two weeks ago in Charlotte, N.C., when a car crashed through a home and trapped a woman and her daughter inside. Firefighters had to pry a door open to allow one of the residents to escape after her bed was pushed across the room by the wayward vehicle. That home also was left severely damaged.
Liowitz suggests that in these cases the first step should always be to pursue the driver's auto insurance. Most basic auto insurance policies will cover property damage under their auto liability section, and he advises that this would be the most optimal recourse for the Scalzos.
According to WFSB-3, the driver of the vehicle was a man in his 60s. He had to be extracted from the vehicle and is currently at Hartford Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
