A resident of Kruger Street got the surprise of his life when he woke up Tuesday morning only to find the wreckage of a vehicle lying in his yard.

The wreckage of the vehicle was the end result of an accident which occurred during the early morning hours. The driver of a Honda Civic, travelling southward in Kruger Street, apparently lost control of the vehicle as it crossed Rissik Street, crashing into a municipal transformer box and spinning into a resident’s yard.

The resident, who is renting the home, said he was woken by the sound of screeching tyres and a loud crashing sound. When he looked outside, he saw the wreckage which left a trial of debris from the point of impact to where it came to a stand still.

The vehicle was a complete wreck with the driver being taken to the Louis Trichardt Memorial Hospital to be treated for head injuries. Although it could not be confirmed at that stage, it is believed that alcohol might have played a role in the accident with tell-tale signs of a damaged cooler box and broken whiskey bottle found next to the wreckage.

Louis Trichardt police spokesperson, Capt Maano Sadiki urged motorists take drive responsibility this festive season as irresponsible behaviour behind the steering wheel of a vehicle could lead to loss of live.

Following the crash, municipal workers struggled fro several hours to restore the power supply to areas left in the dark due to the crash. The cost of repairing the damaged transformer is not yet known but could run into the thousands of Rands.