Ukrainian refugee family describe Halstead home car crash

Yurii, wife Maryna and daughter Yaryna were living in Bridge Street when a car crashed into the house at about 1am on August 21. Yaryna said Yurii got up and saw the car wedged in the front of the Grade II listed property, and she was met by a cloud of dust when she tried to go downstairs. She said: 'Everything from the stairs and below there was just floating dust. "It was like fog - I couldn't see anything.' Destruction - The car smashed into the Grade II listed home at around 1am (Image: Yurii) Crash - The vehicle remains embedded in the property two weeks on (Image: Claudia Bradley, Newsquest) After realising what had happened, Yaryna rushed to wake her mum before the alarms in the house and car went off. The family said the car remains embedded in the property two weeks later because removing it could risk further structural damage. 'If they remove it, there's a chance that the wall will fall down,' Yaryna said. 'From the outside of the house, it doesn't look that much of a big deal, but from the inside, it is much worse.' Damage - The car has been left embedded in the property over concerns removing it would cause the historic wall to fall down (Image: Yurii) The family have been forced to move out of the property. They thanked those who supported them through the move, including landlords Haylock Investment and Management Services, and company partner James Haylock. They also thanked Suzanne Kerr at Braintree Council for monitoring the situation and providing support, as well as family friend Andrew Neil Stock, from Braintree, who helped them move furniture and other heavy belongings. Maryna and Yaryna came to the UK from Ukraine after the Russian invasion. They lived in Castle Hedingham before moving to Bridge Street in August 2023, where Yurii joined them last summer. Yaryna's brother currently remains in Ukraine. Maryna works in a bakery in the town, while Yurii is looking for a new job so the family can keep rebuilding their lives. Yaryna said: 'We would also like to thank the Braintree and Halstead community for taking us in.' Essex Police says the investigation into the incident is ongoing as the driver of the vehicle left the scene before officers arrived. 'No injuries were reported but there is extensive damage to the property,' said a police spokesperson. 'Our enquiries are ongoing. 'If anyone has any information which could assist us, please get in touch." 'You can let us know by submitting a report on our website or by using our online Live Chat service, citing incident 70 of 22 August.' It can be found at the bottom right of the Essex Police homepage at www.essex.police.uk. Visit www.essex.police.uk/digital101 to find out more about website reporting services. Alternatively, you can call 101.