A home in a quiet residential area north of the Ottawa Hospital General Campus was destroyed by a fire that started after a car crashed into it early yesterday morning.
Emergency crews were called to 495 Penhill Ave. at 4 a.m. to find one side of the house in flames and a black Acura partially through the front corner of the house.
All four residents of the house, Byron and Kathleen Johnson, their teenage sons Kevin and Edward, as well as another boy who was sleeping over, made it out of the house unharmed.
Damage to the house is estimated at around $400,000, with another $200,000 for the contents.
Flames burned a car parked in the driveway of the house.
The 21-year-old driver of the vehicle was taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
Neighbour Mick Steers woke up when the emergency crews arrived. He said the driver of the vehicle was conscious and moving after the collision.
“He was worried because his girlfriend was going to be upset and his father was going to be upset because he just totalled the car,” said Steers.
Richard Chamberland of Ottawa has been charged with impaired driving and dangerous driving.
