Van drives through 91-year-old Bath woman’s home

A van drove into a house at 18 Webber Ave. in Bath just before 4 a.m. Saturday. Photo courtesy of Bath Police Department

BATH — Joan Bishop was sleeping just before 4 a.m. Saturday when a van crashed into her den.

The 91 year old was jolted awake, put on her robe and went downstairs to figure out what made the noise insider her 18 Webber Ave. home. She found a van.

She called police to her 18 Webber Avenue home, and called out to see if the driver was OK, but no one was inside.

Bath Police Sgt. Dan Couture said when officers got to the home, the driver had fled. Police are still investigating and say criminal charges could be pending. No other information was available.

“We’re working this pretty aggressively,” he said.

The cargo-style van crashed far enough into the house that the vehicle’s front doors were inside, said Bath Fire Capt. Marc Wood.

Bishop said the driver had broken a window in the passenger-side door of the van to get out of the vehicle and then broke a window on the street side of Bishop’s home to get out of the house.

A dog left behind in the van that was not injured.

“It was quite a bang,” Bishop said. “The whole wall is gone and they pushed everything against the far wall and into the (guest) bedroom. If I’d been sleeping down there I wouldn’t have made it probably.”

Bishop said the hole has been covered with plastic, making her home a little warmer.

“I got a fire going in the fireplace,” she said.

She’s lived in her house for 44 years and while people have hit the fence in her yard due to slippery conditions, but never her home. She lives near a curve where the south end of Washington Street becomes Webber Avenue and not far from the Plant Memorial Home.

Her insurance company should be coming Monday to assess the damage to the house.

Her bedroom was right above the point of impact, but Bishop wasn’t hurt.

“I’m fine,” she said Saturday afternoon “What can you do?”