An elderly man was lucky to escape uninjured after a car slammed through his bedroom wall in Corrimal as he laid in bed overnight.
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The 76-year-old man, who is recovering from a heart bypass operation, was resting when the incident occurred at the Collins Street unit block.
The collision brought the large window and its frame, along with bricks from the wall crashing down onto his bed.
Paramedics, firefighters and police were called to the former squash court, which has since been transformed into a unit block at 6.30pm on Sunday, June 23.
"The gentleman was laying there in bed when the car came through," Fire and Rescue NSW Corrimal Captain Paul Dorin said.
"He was very lucky the window didn't land on top of him.
"He was in shock and was assessed by ambos but they said he was fine."
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Residents watching the unfolding incident told emergency services the car reversed into the unit block and then sped off from the scene.
"The driver absconded from the premises, the police are looking for them," Cpt Dorin said.
A police spokeswoman said a grey coloured car could hold clues to what happened.
"Police are urging anyone with dashcam footage or [who] may have seen a grey car travelling east along Collins Street around the time of the incident, to contact Wollongong Police or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000," she said.
Elderly man only just moved in
The man had only moved into the unit three days before the emergency.
"The gentleman had just moved in on Thursday, he'd had a bypass six months ago, he'd been living with his adult son. The son found him a place to live," Cpt Dorin said.
Firefighters removed the building debris from the man's bedroom and secured a temporary panel to the building so the man could continue to live there.