‘That’s not Santa’: Caravan crashed, roof damaged in Xmas Eve mayhem

Santa did not sleigh for the owner of a caravan, ripped in two on a busy SA road.

A caravan was ripped in half when the man driving the ute towing it lost control and smashed into a fence on Sunday, before climbing onto a nearby house roof and hurling tiles onto cars below.

The driver, 52, was heading south on on Marion Road at Marleston in a Mitsubishi Triton when the smash ripped the top half of the caravan from its base.

He was arrested for aggravated driving and property damage.

“Not nice. They left no details, no nothing and they’ve just gone,” a witness told 7News.

Nearby resident Sharon Mills said the driver was very agitated.

Christmas Eve turned into fright night for a group of Marleston residents after a runaway driver climbed onto a roof and began pelting tiles like missiles. The mayhem began when the 52-year-old who was towing a caravan slammed into a fence leaving a trail of destruction. #7NEWSpic.twitter.com/1kcT8o7PQV

— 7NEWS Adelaide (@7NewsAdelaide) December 25, 2023

“When I looked out I thought, ‘that is not Santas’s sleigh and they are not Christmas lights’,” Ms Mills said.

Police say the driver escaped the wreck and ran from the scene before climbing onto the roof of a nearby house.

“I can see him from my kitchen window and I just thought, this is not good,” Ms Mills said.

He was allegedly seen throwing parts of roof tiles onto cars below, resulting in extensive damage to a parked Toyota.

“Devastated. We had plans to go somewhere but we can’t now,” the owner of the damaged Toyota said.

Southern District police patrols attended and safely talked the man down and took him to hospital for a medical assessment.

Police said the man had no fixed address and was expected to be charged.