Auxerre Avenue: Redditch mum shocked after car hits house

Stephanie Knight said she was shocked when the wall of her kitchen suddenly collapsed in front of her and the whole house shuddered after a Range Rover collided with it. 

The incident happened on Auxerre Avenue on Saturday (July 27) with the house being "extensively damaged". 

This includes creating cracks that have reached the upstairs bedrooms and the wall underneath the kitchen window collapsing. 

The incident happened on Saturday (July 27) (Image: Stephanie Knight)

Ms Knight said it is also believed that the foundations might have been impacted by the collision. 

The 34-year-old lives with her partner Billy James and her three children Lucas, Leo and George who were all inside the home when the incident happened but were not injured. 

She said: "I was about to walk into the kitchen when the wall just collapsed right in front of me. I have bruises from the ricochet but luckily no one was seriously injured. 

"The kitchen table flew up at my partner but he managed to get out of the way. It was just so shocking. The house filled up with the smell of gas and I thought the house was going to blow up. 

"I have three children in the house aged 11, 13 and 16 and my eldest son has just come out of hospital. He was asleep upstairs as he is still recovering, so it was very scary."

Stephanie Knight with her children Lucas, Leo and George Knight and her partner Billy James (Image: Stephanie Knight)

The family has been told that the house isn't safe due to the structural damage so they are in the process of being rehomed by the council.  

Ms Knight said she has lived in the house for eight years and they had just redecorated so it was upsetting to have to leave so suddenly on Saturday. 

She said: "My priority was making sure my children were safe but it has been really stressful and upsetting over the last few days. 

"We are currently staying with my partner's dad in his living room. The council offered us a hotel in Birmingham but my children all have autism so it would be too stressful for them.

"They are helping to rehome us but we don't know how long it will take. We don't know if we will ever be allowed back to our home but it looks like it will take a while due to the extensive damage."

Ms Knight said she is very grateful that her children were not injured and that their pets all made it out safely.

The family were not injured during the incident (Image: Stephanie Knight)

She added: "We have had to leave our belongings behind and our appliances have been destroyed. It is hard to leave a home with so many memories. Our pets are all safe but we have to go back to feed our fish, rabbits and lizards. 

"The children are very distressed and my one son in particular is worried about his fish as they are his special interest. 

"The children have been really affected by what has happened. Even if we are allowed home in the future, the children are terrified that it will happen again. It is heartbreaking."

West Mercia Police declared a major incident on Saturday following the gas leak and put a 100-metre cordon in place on Auxerre Avenue. 

The driver of the Range Rover was taken to Worcestershire Royal Hospital after suffering a suspected medical episode. 

A spokesperson for West Midlands Ambulance Service said: "We were called to Auxerre Avenue, Redditch at 1.52pm on Saturday to reports of a car which had collided with a house. One ambulance attended the scene.

"The driver, a man, was out of the vehicle and was assessed by ambulance staff before being conveyed to Worcestershire Royal Hospital for further checks. No one was injured in the house."