Van crashes through walls of St. Catharines home

A van crashed into a home in St. Catharines on Wednesday, Nov. 2, 2011. (CTV/David Ritchie)

Staff, cp24.com

Van crashes through walls of St. Catharines home

View larger image A van crashed into a home in St. Catharines on Wednesday, Nov. 2, 2011. David Ritchie  View larger image A van crashed into a home in St. Catharines on Wednesday, Nov. 2, 2011. Tim Sopher  View larger image A van crashed into a home in St. Catharines on Wednesday, Nov. 2, 2011. (CP24/Tim Sopher)

A driver escaped serious injury when a minivan crashed through two walls of a house in St. Catharines on Wednesday morning, resulting in extensive damage to the home.
Niagara Regional Police believe the vehicle veered off the street, drove over the front lawn and plowed straight through the house because its driver suffered a medical condition and lost control of the van.
The crash occurred on Dundonald Street at about 9 a.m., leaving gaping holes in the front of the home and a back wall with a large window.
The van, severely damaged and covered in debris, came to a stop in the backyard after driving straight through the home.
Police said the van's driver suffered minor injuries, while no one in the home was injured.
The home's lone occupant was on the top floor at the time and avoided the collision.
Photos reveal the destruction caused in the collision. In the pictures, the demolished van rests in the backyard with debris on top of it, under it and around it.
Other photos illustrate the damage to the home - gaping holes that allow people to see straight through the house, debris strewn throughout the main floor, tattered blinds hanging from the wall where a large window was shattered, piles of bricks at the front step and a destroyed support beam.
A dollar amount hasn't been calculated yet but it's believed the damage estimate will be in the tens of thousands.
No charges have been laid. Police continue to investigate