Woman asleep in bed escapes injury after stolen car crashes into home

GASTONIA, N.C. — Police said a man crashed a stolen car into a Gastonia home Thursday morning, missing a woman sleeping in her bed by mere feet.

Channel 9 reporter Ken Lemon learned that the driver, Ruale Smith, had just bonded out of jail.

Troopers said that the Ford Mustang Smith was driving was going about 70 mph in a 45 mph zone when it went off the road and crashed near the intersection of Hemphill and Forbes roads.

The car hit a tree, spun out of control and smashed into the corner of a home.

(Click PLAY to watch raw video of the aftermath.)

The homeowner told Lemon that the impact happened about two feet from the bed where she was sleeping.

Troopers said that fortunately Smith had his seatbelt on or he could have been thrown into the house.

Witnesses told Chanel 9 that Smith was shaken from the collision and they stopped him from getting out of the car.

They later realized that he may have been trying to get away. The car was reported stolen in March and Smith got out of jail 10 days ago. He was serving time for possession of a stolen vehicle.

Smith was taken to the hospital and will be heading to jail once he’s released.

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