Tesla plows into Troy home as couple narrowly escapes, suspected drunk driver arrested

A Troy couple is counting their blessings after a Tesla plowed directly through their home in a terrifying nighttime crash that left them picking up the pieces.

The crash happened around 10:45 p.m. Friday. Sheffield Drive ends right in front of the couple's house, but the driver of the Tesla just kept going, slamming into the home at what neighbors described as a high rate of speed. Troy police arrested the driver because officers suspect he was under the influence, and investigators are awaiting blood results.

Homeowner Chad Bemb and his girlfriend were inside when the vehicle came through the house. They escaped with just bumps and bruises, and Bemb is now waiting to find out whether the home is salvageable.

"If we were in this (front) room, we wouldn't be here," Bemb told 7 News Detroit.

"From what the neighbors said, it was a high rate of speed. He came in.. you can see where the bumper hit, and then it sent parts everywhere and then he continued into the house," he explained.

The force of the impact was so strong that the vehicle entered Bemb's office and then pushed into the bedroom where the couple was lying, before busting out through the back exterior wall of the home.

Bemb said he initially thought his hot water heater tank had exploded. Then he discovered there was actually a vehicle inside his home, with debris from the wreck pinning the couple down.

"Whatever wall that this car pushed forward was on top of us. So, I pushed that off, I basically pulled myself out," he said. He described pushing out the screen on a side window, diving out headfirst, and then pulling his girlfriend to safety. Only then, he said, did they realize that the car had dialed 911 or someone in the car had called for help.

"We've been up all night. We basically lost kind of everything," Bemb said. "We're getting through it and just move on and figure out what insurance can do, and hopefully we'll get into something soon."

Troy police said specific details about the crash, such as the vehicle's speed and driving mode, would have to come from Tesla's vehicle data. The driver was arrested under suspicion of operating while intoxicated.