An alleged drunk driver is lucky to be alive after smashing his luxury car through a sandstone wall of a historic cemetery in Sydney's eastern suburbs, flipping it on its roof and destroying at least 15 tombstones.
Police say the damage bill at the South Coogee cemetery, which has been in operation since 1874, will be "significant".
A gravestone dating back to 1924 belonging to Private Andrew Knox is among those that have been destroyed.
The man in his 40s, suffered injuries to his face and abdomen when his black Mercedes SUV took out the stone wall of the cemetery at about 2.30am on Tuesday.
He's in a stable condition in St Vincent's Hospital where he underwent further mandatory testing after allegedly returning a positive roadside breath test.
"The car has travelled through the wall at high speed. It's impacted the ground.
Police will attempt to move the car wreckage from a cemetery in Sydney’s east later today @BreakfastNews @abcsydney @abcnews pic.twitter.com/WkGEYA79Y7 — Mark Reddie (@ReddieNews) February 5, 2018
It has flipped and landed upside down. The fact that he was able to be conveyed in an ambulance in the first place is fairly telling that he is an exceptionally lucky man," Inspector Michael Merrett told reporters at the cemetery on Tuesday.
The 4WD came to its final resting place on top of at least 15 headstones and graves dating back to the 1920s, more than five metres inside the cemetery.
The man has caused "a significant amount of damage" and it "won't be a cheap undertaking in terms of repairing the damage", Insp Merrett said.
"Some of these graves are quite old," he said.
Regard the damaged war grave, Insp Merrett said the local council will be able to make an assessment once the car is removed.
Insp Merrett said Randwick Council will co-ordinate the repairs and restoration of the sandstone and marble tombstones that have been destroyed.
A crane will be brought in to remove the car, Insp Merrett said.
Officers are investigating whether speed was a factor in the crash and are urging anyone with information to come forward.
"We also are exceptionally lucky it happened late at night when there were no other people around so there were no other bystanders. It is a busy area. It is a busy intersection normally," Insp Merrett said.
