Car slams into home, teen hospitalized

AUSTIN (KXAN) - A Southwest Austin family is rebuilding their home after a car crashed into it Tuesday morning.  Firefighters said an 18-year-old man fell asleep at the wheel and slammed into the front of the house.

"I’m just worried about how long it's going to take to get fixed and the insurance nightmare," explained Joanne Jones.  She, her husband and 8-year-old daughter were asleep upstairs when the crash happened. "I'm just really glad the person involved in the accident is probably going to be okay that’s the most important thing. ” 

Jones said around 5:00 a.m. her family heard a loud boom and thought a light fixture fell.  They went downstairs to open the front door and couldn't.  When they went out the garage they saw the teen and his car in their front office.

• Photos: Car slams into Southwest Austin home

Austin Firefighters said they received initial reports that someone was pinned in the wreck at 6101 Salcon Cliff Drive, but they were able to get the teen out without having to use the jaws of life.  He was taken to University Medical Center Brackenridge with non-life threatening injuries.

“It was pretty scary, my husband dealt with the EMS and the fire department because I had my 8-year-old and we wanted to keep her away from all of that," said Jones.

Austin Police said the driver was headed south on Escarpment Blvd.  Firefighters believe the driver dozed off, missed hitting a light pole, a tree and went through the bushes and straight into the Jones home office.

“We had a structural engineer come out and they assisted us in determining where we need to put some shores to make the house is stable and to also stop some of the brick work from falling down," explained Capt. Brandon Wade with the fire department. 

The car was removed from the home around 6:30 a.m. and towed away.  The Jones waited for insurance to come and asses the damage.

Both homeowners work out of their house.  The front room was Jones' husband's office, he works in IT.  Joanne's office is right above the damaged room, she works with WiFi for a phone company.   Jones said they'll either work out of a family members house or go to a Starbucks down the street.

There is no word on any possible charges at this point.