Car hits house, but no one - not even pets - injured

NORTH CANAAN  — It was a little after 1 a.m. on April 17. The Christiansen family, Shari, Michael and their two girls, Paige and Tori, were literally jolted from sleep by a car that crashed into their Church Street (Route 44) home hard enough to destroy their front porch.

“I was afraid to go downstairs. I knew right away what had happened. I thought I was going to find a car and someone badly hurt, or worse, in my living room,� Shari Christiansen said.

Instead, Adam Gruver, 19, of Sheffield walked away from the crash, even though no airbags in the car deployed when it hit the house broadside. The Christiansens said, in the end, they are just thankful no one was hurt.

The family moved to the home in 2006. It sits just east of a sharp curve that regularly sends careless drivers and those encountering slick conditions careening onto nearby lawns. The 2002 Nissan Altima Gruver was driving went out of control on that curve. It was sliding sideways as it entered their side yard. It barely missed a camper with a protruding hitch to the right, then a large tree to the left. It left four muddy ruts in the lawn as it slid. The side of the house was splattered with mud to the top of the first-floor windows. The right side of the car slammed into the front corner of the enclosed porch, pushing it out of square and sending windows flying. Even the steps on the opposite side were damaged from the force of the impact.

Inside the home, damage appears limited to cracks in the Sheetrock joints on the wall adjacent to the porch. The town’s building official inspected the house and determined it was safe for habitation. Lumber was used to brace the porch roof.

Claiming a large share of the scare was the Christiansens’ gray tabby, Anabelle, who was sleeping on the porch.

“In the midst of everything, and the dog going crazy with all the commotion, we remembered she was on the porch. We couldn’t get the front door open, so we came out and called her. She finally came out, covered in shards of glass, but she was OK,� Shari Christiansen said. “She took off and we didn’t see her for a whole day.�

By Sunday, Anabelle was sitting on the porch steps, calmly greeting visitors with soft meows.

State police continue to investigate the accident.