A Michigan man miraculously survived on Sunday night when a car crashed into his suburban Detroit living room, and now he’s crediting a Lions timeout for saving his life.
Homeowner Michael Pingel said he stood up from his couch when Lions coach Dan Campbell called time with Detroit driving for the game-winning field goal in the final moments of the team’s Week 7 victory over the rival Green Bay Packers.
‘The Lions just called timeout. It was the end of the game. They were marching down for the field goal, and they called timeout,’ Pingel told ClickOnDetroit.com. ‘I got up off the couch, started walking into the kitchen, and the car came through and just totally took out my whole living room.
‘All I saw was orange,’ he continued. ‘And I thought the house was on fire or something, but it was the running lights from the car… I’m lucky I still wasn’t on the couch.’
The car, a black Kia, crashed into the Chesterfield Township, Michigan, residence around 7pm on Sunday, leading to an immediate response from local police and fire departments. The car had four occupants, one of whom was transported to a nearby hospital with minor injuries.
Pingel claimed four young individuals got out of the car following the crash while insisting they had been cut off by another vehicle.
The car, a black Kia, crashed into the Chesterfield Township, Michigan residence around 7pm on Sunday, leading to an immediate response from local police and fire departments
The car had four occupants, one of whom was taken to a nearby hospital with minor injuries
Pingel’s home needed to be stabilized before the car could be removed from his living room
Chesterfield Technical Rescue Group and the Chesterfield Township Building Department were both called to the scene because of the extensive damage to Pingel’s home
Homeowner Michael Pingel said he stood up from his couch when Lions coach Dan Campbell (pictured) called time with Detroit driving for the game-winning field goal on Sunday night
Next-door neighbor Benjamin Bebkoan told ClickOnDetroit.com he was outside when the crash occurred.
‘I hear the tire squealing,’ he said. ‘And as soon as I went like this, he’s coming through the fence. It was that fast. I’m still blown away. It’s unbelievable. I cannot emphasize it enough, how quickly and fast it happened. It’s unreal.’
Chesterfield Technical Rescue Group and the Chesterfield Township Building Department were both called to the scene because of the extensive damage to Pingel’s home, which needed to be stabilized before the car could be removed.
The total damage to the home has not yet been determined.
And the bad news doesn’t stop there. Pingel has not been able to find his cat since the crash, but hopes the pet is nearby.
‘I don’t know what happened to him during the mess. I’m hoping he’s hiding somewhere, but still looking for him at this point,’ Pingel said.
The crash remains under investigation.
