'We couldn't believe it': Couple left stunned at freak car smash
"I didn't believe what I was seeing, there was a car parked up against the house"
A retired couple have spoken of their shock as a car crashed into the front of their home.
Larry and Pam Marlow had the fright of their lives when a car smashed into their home on Fordbrook Lane, Pelsall, in the early hours of Wednesday morning.
Retired sales manager Larry, aged 72, was reading a newspaper in his living room, while his wife Pam, aged 71, slept upstairs, when the car crashed.
Fuel began to leak from the car and drench the front of the house as Larry leapt into action.
He said: "My wife had just gone to bed, I was sat in the living room and I heard an enormous bang.
"I went out to the front door and I could see an exhaust pipe of a car vertically in front of the door, I couldn't open it to get out, and all I could smell was petrol and it was coming into the house.
"I didn't believe what I was seeing, there was a car parked up against the house.
"I went and checked on Pam and looked out the window and the boot of the car was just below the bedroom window.
"The petrol was a concern as one spark and the house would be gone.
"There were bits of car everywhere and you can still smell the petrol now.
"I managed to slightly open the garage door and crawl out and there were neighbours all around and then the emergency service arrived.
"All three services were very professional and well managed and I'm grateful for that.
"They sent for a mobile crane and they pulled the car up, then moved my car from underneath it, and then drop the other one to the floor and onto it's wheels, it all took around 3 hours.
"We'll be on the phone to insurers now and see how we go, but we won't have any cars now and we'll lose money."
This incident was the second one the couple have endured, after another car came crashing along their driveway and into a hedge in 2001.
Fortunately both Larry and Pam were out at the time and neither of their cars were parked up, meaning damage was limited to their garden and driveway.
But the smell of petrol was still strong the next morning after the latest crash as Pam and Larry spent their day cleaning up the broken glass and car parts from their driveway.
A number of roof tiles had also been torn away in the crash after the car landed vertically on top of Larry's Honda CR-V.
His car was left with substantial damage to it's rear, while most of the windows had been smashed in.
Pam's Honda Jazz also suffered damage to the passenger side with most of the car dented.
She said: "I couldn't even come downstairs, I was shaking from head to toe, I've never known anything like it, I was in shock.
"I can't describe how I felt, I've never felt anything like it, my body just shook, I felt stupid.
"But the fire, police and ambulance were brilliant, absolutely fantastic, I can't praise them enough."
Following the crash, police arrested a 21-year-old man on suspicion of drink driving and he has since been released while police enquiries continue.
West Midlands Fire Service sent two fire engines totalling 10 firefighters to the scene.
A fire service spokesman said: “We were called at 12.45am to an incident involving a car in collision with a house.
“Our crews assessed the building for structural damage and fortunately there didn’t appear to be any damage.
“The police arranged for the recovery of the vehicle and we assisted with the recovery.
