Devastating crash leaves Nanango home uninhabitable

A historic Queensland home has been declared uninhabitable after an uninsured driver crashed into it while the homeowner was inside with his two dogs. Watch the video.

A historic family home in Nanango was declared uninhabitable after a driver crashed into the property on Tuesday morning while owner, Sean Riley, was inside with his two dogs.

Mr Riley, a full-time carer for his eldest son, had just returned home from dropping his children off at school while his wife Chloe was out.

“I went downstairs to check something on my computer, and a big massive crash. I thought a cupboard or something had fallen over,” he said.

The family’s dogs ran downstairs, and when Mr Riley went upstairs, he found the hallway completely destroyed.

A Toyota HiLux crashed into a house in Nanango on Tuesday morning.

The home, in Appin St, is one of the oldest in Nanango.

The impact tipped every wall in the house to a 30-degree angle, leading the council to declare it uninhabitable and it will have to be demolished.

Mr Riley and his wife Chloe, who is training to be a doctor, bought the house the day their eldest child was born and the family is struggling to cope with the loss.

“Our eldest was in tears, and our youngest, who is non-verbal autistic, kept screaming ‘house broken’ and ‘fix the house’,” Mr Riley said.

Adding to their woes, the driver responsible for the crash was uninsured.

Sean Riley was at home with his two dogs when a ute came crashing through a wall.

The family faces uncertainty regarding any insurance payout, which will likely go towards their mortgage, potentially leaving them without a home.

According to a Queensland Ambulance Service spokesperson, the occupants of the Toyota HiLux dual cab ute, a man, a woman and two small children, were taken to Kingaroy Hospital in stable condition.

Mr Riley said police were investigating whether a medical issue may have affected the driver at the time of the crash.

He said he was thankful no one was injured.

“You can replace a house, you can replace everything inside the house but you can’t replace a life,” he said.

Nanango House car crash

The crash comes only six months after the Rileys invested thousands of dollars and countless hours into renovating their home.

They are currently living on the property in a caravan without access to power and have started a GoFundMe campaign to raise money for a donga, solar panels and other necessities.

“We have no idea what the next day, week, or even month looks like, so any help is appreciated,” Mr Riley said.

For those wishing to help, donations can be made through the family’s GoFundMe page here.

Originally published as Devastating crash leaves Nanango home uninhabitable