Adelaide car crash: How a driver’s simple blunder when they parked their car DESTROYED this home – and sparked an asbestos scare

A driver who forgot to apply the handbrake when parking his car has destroyed part of a home after the runaway vehicle sped through the property.

The four-wheel drive Nissan Patrol was parked on a hill in Carrickalinga in Adelaide’s south-west just before 1.30pm on Saturday.

But the driver of the brand new vehicle forgot to apply the handbrake when he parked it at the top of the ramp on Elizabeth Crescent.

And after the driver left the vehicle unattended, the car rolled down the hill and gathered speed before crashing into the house.

The vehicle drove through the front of the house until it launched itself from the house’s balcony into the front yard, leaving a trail of destruction.

Stones and rubble were everywhere, and large wooden planks from the balcony fell onto the vehicle.

The waterfront house was left with a gaping hole and the property sustained significant damage, but fortunately no one was in the house at the time.

South Australia Police said emergency services, including the SES, attended the scene following the incident.

Volunteers from the SES and Country Fire Service attempted to install temporary support structures, but crews suspected asbestos had been used in the construction of the house.

The SES decided not to set up support structures, even though a spokesperson said so ABC that it was up to the homeowner to talk to his insurer about the damage to his property.

Asbestos is a natural mineral that was once mined throughout Australia and used to manufacture building and construction products.

The mineral containing toxic fibers can cause lung cancer because the substance is easily inhaled and can damage the lining of the lungs.