Man arrested on suspicion of arson after crashing car into house

Occupants of property and ‘a large number of dogs’ rescued by emergency services

A photograph shows the extent of damaged caused by a car colliding with a property in Cornwall on 18 October, 2020. (Twitter/Fowey Community Fire Station )

A driver who crashed his car into a house in Cornwall on Sunday evening has been arrested on suspicion of arson offences, after both his vehicle and the property caught fire.

The man was rescued from his car on the A38 near Bodmin before being taken to Derriford Hospital in Plymouth, where he was treated for a broken arm and soft tissue injuries.

He was later arrested at the hospital, Devon and Cornwall Police said in a statement. 

The force added that the occupants of the house and “a large number of dogs” had to be evacuated as a result of the crash.

The fire services also attended the scene, with Fowey Community Fire Station posting an image of the badly damaged property and car on Twitter.

“We are checking the property for any hotspots for the next few hours. Please slow down if you're driving past and keep your eyes on the road,” the service said in the message.

The road was closed for a few hours on Sunday evening while police were investigating the incident and while the firefighters carried out a ‘prolonged damping down” of the scene.