A black Kia tore through the living room wall of Michael Pingel's Chesterfield Township home just after 7 p.m. Sunday, stopping just feet from the couch where he'd been sitting moments earlier. Pingel says he had gotten up to walk toward the kitchen after the Detroit Lions called a timeout, and he credits that brief break in the game with keeping him out of the vehicle's path.
A Timeout, Then a Crash
Pingel was watching the Lions game when the timeout prompted him to leave the couch, according to ClickOnDetroit. Seconds later, the Kia smashed through the wall and came to rest just feet from where he had been seated, the outlet reports. “I’m lucky I still wasn’t on the couch,” Pingel said, according to the same report, which credits the timeout with giving him just enough time to move.
Chesterfield Township police and fire departments responded to reports of a vehicle striking a building near 23 Mile and Donner roads around 7 p.m. on Oct. 25, per the ClickOnDetroit report. A separate ClickOnDetroit account places the crash just after 7 p.m. that evening, noting that “the crash happened just after 7 p.m. on Oct. 25 near 23 Mile and Donner roads.” The vehicle was identified as a black Kia, and the impact caused significant damage to the home.
Neighbor Describes a Sudden Scene
Benjamin Bebkoan, Pingel's next-door neighbor, was standing outside getting fresh air when the crash happened. He said the crash unfolded extremely quickly, offering a firsthand account of just how little warning there was before the car struck the house.
Pingel said four young people exited the car after the crash and claimed someone had cut them off, per his account relayed to ClickOnDetroit. Officials have not released information about the driver, according to Patch. Chesterfield Township police continue to investigate the crash.
Conflicting Injury Counts
Accounts differ on how many people were hurt. ClickOnDetroit reported that one person was injured and taken to a local hospital with minor injuries, while Patch reported that officials said there were also multiple minor injuries. Neither report has been reconciled, and the discrepancy remains unresolved.
Stabilizing a Damaged Home
Crews had to stabilize the building before safely removing the car, the outlet's report notes. The Chesterfield Technical Rescue Group and the Chesterfield Township Building Department were both called to the scene because of the structural damage. A professional board-up company secured the damaged home for the property owner.
Amid the wreckage, Pingel is also dealing with a missing cat. He said he hopes the animal is hiding somewhere nearby and that he is continuing to search for it.
