It was about a quarter to eleven and we were just getting ready to sleep after watching some Highway Patrol repeats earlier in the night. Then we heard the sound of cars hooning around. Then a screech and a loud crash.
Not again.
Almost to the month, four years after a young drunk driver had crashed into the shrubs between our neighbour and us another driver had passed through the same space and crashed into our neighbour's house.
Along the way he demolished our letter box, hedge and most of the shrubs planted after the first incident, then down a retaining wall to land on top of our neighbour's trailer, his car just touching the lower brick wall of the house.
Fortunately the 23 year old driver was just shaken and the house survived unscathed but for a broken window and ruined flowerpots.
It could have been much worse. A couple of weeks ago another young driver in Illawong died after losing control of his car, rolling it and being flung out.
Our driver, from a house just down the street, was undoubtedly speeding in his Volkswagen Golf, as do many on this stretch of road. His brother had been just behind in his Alfa Romeo. Their specialist auto insurer Shannons was indicative of their likely revhead nature.
On the back of the car was an Apple computers sticker. Don't believe them when they say they don't crash.
A crowd of neighbours gathered around the accident. I called the police, but it was the tow trucks that arrived first, then the fire brigade, the cops and the ambulance. The freelance journalists. Then more tow trucks.
The police collected statements, the paramedics gave him a once over and presumably tested for alcohol and drugs. The fireman had little to do. For most of the time it was standing around watching the tow truck drivers attempt to haul the car back up the way it came.
By the way, don't trust any insurance advice tow truck drivers give. They just want your money. The emergency services, on the other hand, were great.
Gradually the crowds drifted away. The freelancers collared me for an interview on camera. I misstated some facts but it was way past midnight by now and I wasn't thinking straight.
The story actually featured on the Channel 9 and Channel 7 morning news, surprisingly.
Residents of Illawong have described hearing a large crash as a car landed on top of a trailer overnight. #9News pic.twitter.com/uFrSOngHj6
— Nine News Sydney (@9NewsSyd) May 16, 2017
Car loses control of car in Illawong. 23-year-old driver's car landed on a trailer on Fowler Road. #Illawong #7News pic.twitter.com/7fPoOxUC61
— 7 News Sydney (@7NewsSydney) May 16, 2017
So now we've got no letterbox, our beautiful hedge has been trimmed far more than I intended (granted it needed trimming) and a pair of lovely callistemon and lilli pilli shrubs is probably gone. Insurance won't pay for the garden and we are wondering if someday a car will plough into Alex's bedroom.
It's not just us. Apparently the house at the corner has had three cars in their yard and the are lamp posts and street signs suffering frequent damage. All because the idiots in this area (like most others) think they have the right to show off their non-existent driving "skills" and put everyone else in danger. I am tired of people bitching about speed limits in residential areas like this when the evidence is in - they aren't the great drivers they think they are.
They are murderous f'ing idiots.
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