I went to bed & woke up under a car after boozed-up driver crashed into my bedroom – we’re still paying for the damage

WHEN Sue Ann Venter went to bed, she had no idea she was about to have the worst nightmare imaginable. In the middle of the night, hours after Sue Ann, 38, had gone to sleep she woke to feel a massive pressure on her chest A car crashed into Sue Ann and Llewellyn Venter’s bedroom in the middle of the night Credit: Supplied Sue Ann says their bedroom walls, bed frame and bedside tables were reduced to rubble Credit: Supplied An out of control car had crashed through the wall of their home, and landed in their bedroom right on top of Sue Ann. Luckily her quick thinking hubby Llewellyn, 37, managed to summon superhuman strength and lift the front of the car off his wife, dragging her to safety. Sign up for the Fabulous newsletter Thank you! Sue Ann said: “Llewellyn is definitely my superhero. He saved my life that night. “Not many mums can say they woke up with a car on top of them in bed and survived.” The car crashed through the wall of their bedroom, landing on top of Sue Ann Credit: Supplied Llewellyn used “superhuman strength” to lift the car off Sue Ann Credit: Supplied The evening had been like any other for the couple in their home in Rolleston, New Zealand. Sue Ann said: “I’d come in from a shift at work at 9pm one Friday night in March last year. “I worked as a packer in a warehouse and it had been a long and tiring week at work. “I wanted nothing more than to flop on the sofa with Llewellyn and then stagger off to bed. Most read in Fabulous “We had planned to take it easy that weekend, relaxing with the kids, Chanel, 17, and Zander, eight. “We went up to bed and snuggled under the covers. “I mumbled goodnight to him, already half dozing off. “It was around 3.45am when I suddenly woke up with an immense pressure on my chest, weighing me down. “My first thought was ‘I’m going to die.’ “My brain tried to adjust to the darkness in the bedroom. A strange red and white light was filling the room. “I couldn’t take in what was happening. Was I in some sort of nightmare? “Then I could hear Llewellyn screaming my name, over and over again. The couple’s bed was buried beneath the overturned car Credit: Supplied The car crash caused their bedroom wall to completely cave in Credit: Supplied “The pressure was lifted off my chest, and I could feel him dragging me out of bed. “In the darkness, I could see a car on our bed. Yes an actual car. What the hell had just happened? “Plaster dust just filled the room, aswell as this strange red light. “When he dragged me out of bed, I could finally see what happened.” The couple’s bed was buried beneath an overturned car, that had flipped onto its side. It had come crashing through the side of their one storey house, and straight into the bedroom. Sue Ann recalls: “It had flipped over landing on its side on the bed, trapping me underneath.” I couldn’t believe that I’d actually been asleep….then a car landed on me in bed! That sort of thing just didn’t happen. “Our walls, bed frame, and bedside tables had been reduced to rubble. “Llewellyn had somehow managed to summon superhuman strength and lifted the car off me, so he could pull me out. “He was covered with white dust, but he was panicking now, as he thought the engine of the car may blow up. “We had to get out of the house…and fast. “We ran down the hallway to check on the kids. I felt no pain, as adrenaline was coursing through my body. “We ran to their bedrooms, shouting their names. Luckily they were ok. “The car had come through the wall and straight into our bedroom. It hadn’t affected them. “But they had woken up with the noise of the crash, and we all ran outside the house. “At the front, around 20 neighbours had gathered to check we were okay. “One had already called the emergency services. “As I stood outside, someone covered me with a blanket. “And thats when the shock started to set in. “I looked at the house and one wall had completely caved in, exposing our bedroom. “I couldn’t believe we had all escaped with our lives. “The driver staggered over. “He’d managed to get out the car, and he couldn’t stop apologising to us. “Within ten minutes, police, firefighters and the ambulance arrived. “Llewellyn and I were loaded into ambulances before being taken to hospital. “Some of the neighbours offered to look after Chanel and Zander whilst we went to get checked out. “As I sat in the ambulance the pain started to finally hit me. “My right wrist was swelling. I just hoped it wasn’t broken. “My head throbbed and my chest was sore, from where I’d been pinned underneath the car.” When the couple arrived at the hospital, Sue Ann had a CAT scan, x-rays and an ultrasound to check for any internal bleeding. Llewellyn was checked over too. She said: “Whllst we waited for the results, Llewelyn told me what had happened. “He’d got up to go to the bathroom and had just got back into bed when he heard the screech of tyres outside. “He’d heard rumbling like a huge thunderstorm which got louder within seconds, and then the car had suddenly crashed through the bedroom wall. “When it had flipped over, he could see that the right hand bank wheel was crushing my chest. “He’d been thrown from the bed on the impact, and into the wooden door frame, and he crawled to the bed to try and free me. “He’d fumbled through bricks and broken glass to reach me. “He told me he could only see my legs poking out from underneath the car. “He couldn’t even speak without welling up with tears at the thought of it. “He thought I was dead. “We hugged as we sat in the hospital chairs. “Summoning all his strength he had managed to push the car up with one hand, whilst freeing me with the other. “I was only here because of him, and I honestly didn’t know how on earth he’d managed to do it. “It felt like a miracle when three hours later, doctors had checked us over and told us we could go home. “Apart from some bruising, some small cuts and a bump on my head I was fine. “I couldn’t believe a car had landed on top of me and I was still alive, let alone with just a few bumps and cuts. “Llewellyn had concussion and whiplash from where he’d been thrown against the door frame in the impact. “Arriving back home that morning and seeing the rubble piled up on the bed, I couldn’t believe we had survived. “Bricks from the back wall of the house had been flung so hard from the force of the impact, they were lodged in the opposite wall. “The house was so damaged, we have had to find another house to rent. “At night when I went to bed, I’d shake all over, fearing going to sleep for what might happen again. In November 2025, driver Himamsu Dhungel, 36, pleaded guilty to a charge of breath alcohol limit over 400 msgs and two charges of careless operation causing injury. He received a seven month disqualification of driving, fined $750 and ordered to pay reparations of $5000. Sue Ann said: ‘Llewellyn is having counselling for post traumatic stress as he was awake when it all happened, and he relives it a lot. “We don’t blame the driver for what happened at all. “It was just one of those unlucky things. “I’m just thankful we are still here to see our beautiful kids grow up – my hubby is definitely my superhero.” Comment now