Sheer luck is all that stopped residents from being seriously hurt when a speeding car went airborne, flying over a Whangārei property before crashing through the roof. 

Whangārei resident Ruby, who asked that her surname not be used, was sleeping in her unit in Millers Lane, Kensington, when she was woken by a thud late last night. 

Having heard about previous crashes at the property, she got up to see her neighbour’s unit devastated by the impact of the crash. 

Her neighbour was fortunately not home, as he was staying in hospital for an unrelated matter. 

“He’s lucky but unlucky that he wasn’t here,” Ruby said. 

A full assessment of the damage showed the car came off the road on Mill Rd, flew over Ruby’s unit and came to land on her neighbour’s unit. 

The car flew over the first half of the property where Ruby was sleeping, before devastating the second half. Photo / Denise Piper 

A piece of fence came through the roof of Ruby’s house, embedding itself into the ceiling in her garage, but fortunately missing where she was sleeping. 

Police told Ruby they thought the car was going at least 180km/h at the time of the crash. 

A piece of fence came through Ruby's roof before becoming embedded in her garage ceiling. Photo / Denise Piper 

But Ruby said Whangārei District Council also needs to put up protective barriers around the property, to stop cars crashing into it. 

This is at least the third time a car has come crashing down on to the property, and residents have long advocated for some protection. 

Police and Whangārei District Council have been approached for comment. 

Denise Piper is a news reporter for the Northern Advocate, focusing on health and business. She has more than 20 years in journalism and is passionate about covering stories that make a difference.