Truck driver rams his house

A woman and two young children had a lucky escape early yesterday after a man allegedly rammed the front of his own home with a truck following a domestic dispute.

The alarm was raised shortly after 1am by neighbours in the cul-de-sac in the Dún Na hInse estate in Ennis, Co Clare.

Gardaí rushed to the scene to find the truck embedded in the front of the end-of-terrace home.

The driver, a man in his 20s, is understood to have left the scene while his wife and two young children were still in the house.

None of the those in the house were injured. The window and concrete sill were driven into the sitting room by more than 30cm while glass and bricks were scattered inside and outside the house.

Gardaí preserved the scene overnight and the woman and her children went to stay with a relative.

It is understood that the two young children were sleeping upstairs at the time while their mother was in the kitchen area at the rear of the house.

Neighbours believe that if anyone had been in the sitting room at the time, they would have been seriously injured by flying debris.

Technical experts spent several hours at the house gathering evidence and photographing the scene.

The vehicle, described as a small tipper truck, was removed to Ennis Garda Station for a more detailed technical examination.

Gardaí are investigating and are looking to speak to the man.