Michael Pingel of Chesterfield Township can thank his lucky stars that the Detroit Lions called for a timeout near the end of their game Sunday against the Green Bay Packers.
Pingel told news outlets he was watching the Lions game when a motorist crashed into the side of his condominium Sunday night, causing “significant” damage to the structure and sending one person to the hospital. The car crashed through the wall of his home, coming to rest just feet from where he had been a few seconds earlier.
The Lions “were marching down for the field goal, and they called timeout,” he told WDIV-TV (Channel 4) “I got up off the couch, started walking into the kitchen, and the car came through and just totally took out my whole living room.”
The incident took place around 7 p.m. when Chesterfield’s police and fire department received reports of a vehicle that crashed into a building near the area of 23 Mile and Donner roads.
According to Chesterfield fire officials, first responders found a black Kia had crashed into the building. One individual was transported to an area hospital by a Medstar Ambulance crew for treatment of minor injuries.
Firefighters work to remove a car that crashed into the side of a house in Chesterfield Township on Sunday, Oct. 25. (PHOTO COURTESY OF CHESTERFIELD TOWNSHIP FIRE DEPARTMENT)
Pingel says he didn’t fully understand how close he came to being struck by the vehicle until he turned around.
“All I saw was orange. And I thought the house was on fire or something, but it was the running lights from the car,” he said. “I’m lucky I still wasn’t on the couch.”
Pingel says he saw four young people jump out of the car after the crash, claiming someone had cut them off.
Authorities said the Chesterfield Technical Rescue Group and officials with the Chesterfield Township Building Department were called to the scene to assess the structural damage and determine how to safely remove the vehicle.
Due to the extent of the damage, crews were required to stabilize the building before the vehicle could be safely removed by Joe Ballor Towing. Following the vehicle’s removal, a board-up company secured the damaged building for the property owner.