By NBCConnecticut.com
MERIDEN, Conn. -- A Connecticut family has a big mess to clean up after a car crashed into their bedroom while they were away.
The Scalzos were caught off-guard on Sunday night when they drove up to their home on Round Hill Road in Meriden, Conn., after a weekend away in Pennsylvania.
“I saw all the flashing lights and the fire engines… At first we thought it was a fire or something,” said Nick Scalzo.
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When he and his family took a closer look, they couldn’t miss the car on its side that had flipped into their bedroom.
“Sure enough, there was a car up against the house and chaos,” Scalzo added.
Police told NBC Connecticut that the driver swerved to avoid hitting an animal, then lost control before he crashed into the home and caused thousands of dollars worth of damage.
“Just a complete disaster,” said Scalzo — both on the outside and on the inside.
Scalzo’s bedroom was a shambles right after the fact, and roughly 24 hours later, it looked more like a construction zone. The walls were still boarded up and it was filled with rubble.
“It will be a mess for a while,” Scalzo said.
The crash happened 20 minutes before the family came home from their vacation. Despite the damage, the family said they were fortunate they weren’t in the bedroom, because someone could have been seriously hurt or even killed.
“We could have been in there unpacking,” Nick Scalzo said.
On Monday, Meriden police were still investigating the crash and didn’t know if alcohol could have been a factor. The driver was rushed to the hospital with minor injuries.
“They wheeled him away. They asked if he was speeding; he said he wasn't,” Scalzo said.
Police told NBC Connecticut they questioned whether that was true and said the driver could have been going well over the 30 mph speed limit. Police have not released the name of the driver.
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