A police vehicle responding to an urgent call has smashed into a Merrylands home for the second time in two years, leaving the family shaken and displaced overnight.
The paddy wagon was travelling under lights and sirens when it crashed through the garage of the property on Holroyd Road at about 5pm on Monday. According to witness accounts, the vehicle sped over a speed hump before hurtling towards the house with significant force.
The impact was severe. The garage partially collapsed, and smoke billowed from the damaged police vehicle. A witness who was nearby described hearing the car "flying down" the road before a loud impact. "I heard the car come flying down with lights and sirens," the witness said. "Next minute I hear this almighty screech and then a big bang into the house. I think they just hit the corner a bit too fast."
The homeowner said he had been standing outside with his grandchildren moments before the crash. No injuries were reported to police. However, the family was forced to stay elsewhere for the night due to the structural damage.
What makes this incident striking is that it is not the first time a police vehicle has collided with the property. In 2024, another police car involved in a pursuit crashed into the front fence. Although that collision caused less damage, the frequency of these incidents raises questions about road safety around this particular location.
The property sits next to Hilltop Road Public School, which was closed for the day when Monday's crash occurred. Police said the vehicle was responding to a job on urgent duty but was not involved in a pursuit and no other vehicles were involved in the incident.
NSW Police policy requires that when a police vehicle is involved in a major traffic crash without death or serious injury, the matter is attended and investigated by officers from the geographical area where the crash occurred, with oversight by the chain of command. An investigation into this incident is currently underway.