Elderly couple feel lucky to be alive after car smashes into their Jarrow home

An elderly Jarrow couple feel lucky to be alive after a car smashed through their front garden.
Ed Haws outside his home in Albert Road, Jarrow.Ed Haws outside his home in Albert Road, Jarrow.
Ed Haws outside his home in Albert Road, Jarrow.

Rita and Ed Haws were in bed at their home in Albert Road when they heard an almighty bang at about 11.40pm yesterday.

Mr Haws thought it was a gas explosion until they peered out of the window to see the chaos down below and a car on its side slightly further up the street.

Ed and Rita Haws.Ed and Rita Haws.
Ed and Rita Haws.
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The 74-year-old said: "We honestly thought it was a gas explosion so we jumped up and looked out of the window.

"The garden was a mess, the walls were smashed and this car was on its side, we were just thinking 'what the heck?'.

"We have been very lucky, we were sleeping right above this, had it been a little while earlier we would have been watching television down stairs.'.

Unknowing to the couple the car is believed to have been chased by police when it lost control - none of the occupants were seriously injured.

Ed and Rita Haws.Ed and Rita Haws.
Ed and Rita Haws.
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Two men have since been arrested in connection with the theft of a car.

It wasn't until a little while later that the Mr and Mrs Haws, who have lived in the house since 1970, realised their front bay window had also been smashed.

However, the pensioners, who have five children and 11 grandchildren, are feeling thankful as today they were due to get new PVC windows fitted.

Mrs Haws, 72, said: "There was glass everywhere, we didn't know until we looked into the living room that the windows had also been smashed in.

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"Thankfully all the blinds and the table had been moved because we were originally due to get the new windows fitted yesterday, but the company couldn't make it, so they were coming today.

"Imagine this happening just hours after having them all fitted."

Mr and Mrs Haws are now waiting for insurers and structural engineers to visit the property which is more than 100 years old.

Mr Haws added: "Everything is such a mess. But we're alright.

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"The police were here until about 4am,there was so many officers here, I think we had the whole force.

"I am still amazed the car has manged to shift the concrete boulders int he garden which used to have iron railings in,they were there before war, but it's gone right through them."