A woman is lucky to be alive after a catastrophic car crash saw her ejected from her vehicle and hurled into a backyard swimming pool in a dramatic incident caught on home CCTV.
'Like a freight train': The moment of impact
Horrific footage from a residential security camera captured the terrifying moment a car, travelling at high speed, smashed through a garden wall in Laughlin, southern Nevada. The force of the impact was described by homeowner Cletis Reed as being 'like a freight train'. The vehicle then flipped over, propelling the female driver through the air before she landed in the property's swimming pool on December 15.
The tense video shows the woman lying motionless in the waist-high water for a period before she eventually begins to move her arms. Mr Reed, who had been near the hot tub at the time, rushed to help. 'I figured something happened in the street and I come out to see my entire backyard destroyed,' he told Fox5 News. 'I mean everything was just blown up. The patio is on the ground, the lady is floating in my pool.'
A miraculous escape from severe injury
Incredibly, the driver survived the ordeal with what appear to be non-fatal injuries. Mr Reed emphasised how fortunate she was, noting the pool's shallow end likely saved her life. 'She was blessed, and I was blessed,' he said. 'She ended up right in the shallow end. If she went 4 feet that way, and concrete — and you know the end result of that.'
When he pulled the woman from the water, she was conscious but 'moaning and groaning'. Remarkably, she was able to stand up approximately 15 minutes later and was taken to hospital for treatment.
Aftermath and investigation details
According to crash details seen by broadcasters, the driver is suspected of having been 'impaired' at the time of the incident. The motorist had been speeding and 'failed to stop' before hitting a block wall, which caused the car to flip and eject her.
The aftermath left the vehicle in such a precarious position that a crane on a tow truck was required to lift it from the property. The damage to the backyard was extensive, with repair costs estimated at around $300,000. This includes the need to drain and clean the entire swimming pool, which was contaminated with motor oil from the wrecked car.
The incident serves as a stark reminder of the dangers of impaired and speeding driving, and the incredibly thin line between tragedy and a miraculous survival.
