CHESTERFIELD (WXYZ) — A Chesterfield Township man says a matter of seconds may have saved his life after a car crashed through his condominium Sunday night, destroying his living room and leaving his beloved cat missing.
Michael Pingel was watching the Detroit Lions game Sunday night at his home in the Bay Run condominium complex near Gratiot Avenue and 23 Mile Road when he stepped away from his couch.
Watch Evan Sery's report in the video player below:
Just five to seven seconds later, he said, a car came crashing through his home.
“I was sitting on my couch watching the Lions game last night,” Pingel said.
Pingel had gotten up and walked toward his kitchen when the crash happened.
“All of a sudden, a car came through my doorwall, pretty much destroyed my living room,” he said.
The impact left extensive damage inside the condo, with debris scattered throughout the living room. Pingel said he initially thought a transformer had exploded and caused a fire.
“Turned around, my whole living room was orange,” Pingel said. “Turns out it was the running lights from the car turning everything orange.”
Pingel said he had been sitting in the seat closest to the front wall of his condo moments before the crash.
His next-door neighbor, Benjamin Bebko, also narrowly avoided being hit.
Bebko said he was standing outside on his balcony when he heard tires screeching.
“I peeked around the corner, and before I could see anything, the car was already coming through my fence,” Bebko said.
Bebko recorded video showing a large police response and the vehicle almost entirely inside Pingel’s home. The crash also damaged Bebko’s property.
Bebko said an officer told him the driver had swerved to avoid another vehicle. He believes the driver then lost control and went over a berm before crashing into the condominium.
Police said the driver suffered non-life-threatening injuries.
7 News Detroit went to the police department Monday seeking additional information about the crash, but police said no further details were available for release.
Pingel and Bebko were not physically injured, and both are now dealing with the damage left behind.
But for Pingel, the destroyed property is not his biggest concern.
His 4-year-old cat, Pixel, disappeared after the crash and had not been found when 7 News Detroit spoke with him Monday.
“He disappeared. He was right here with me before this, and I can’t find him under anything,” Pingel said.
Pingel remains hopeful Pixel escaped the damaged condo and will find his way home.
“That’s got to be me the most worried of anything right now,” Pingel said. “The rest can be built.”
For Pingel, the timing of the crash is also difficult to ignore. Had he remained on the couch for only a few more seconds, he believes the outcome could have been much different.
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