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Realtor says sister lucky to be alive after car smashes through agency

A North Vancouver real estate agent says her sister is lucky to be alive after a car ploughed through the front of their Edgemont Village agency and right through her desk. Laura Clarke was at home just before 10 a.m.

A North Vancouver real estate agent says her sister is lucky to be alive after a car ploughed through the front of their Edgemont Village agency and right through her desk.

Laura Clarke was at home just before 10 a.m. Saturday when her alarm company called to tell her an alert had been triggered at her office, Team Clarke Realty on Woodbine Drive. Saying it was a window alarm, the operator guessed it had been triggered by a newspaper hitting the glass, but when Clarke drove to the agency a few minutes later, she saw the culprit was significantly larger and potentially much more deadly.

It wasnt a newspaper; it was a car, she said. It (had gone) right over the curb, across the sidewalk and through our window into my sister Brookes office.

The vehicles driver had apparently been attempting to pull into a nearby parking space when she had hit the wrong pedal, sending it rocketing into the business, according to police. The Chevrolet Cavalier made it partway through a second wall before coming to a stop.

I couldnt believe it had happened, said Clarke. Everything in the office was a write-off.

A group firefighters who had been nearby rushed to help the driver and a passenger out of the car. Both were uninjured. The North Vancouver RCMP investigated the incident, and after speaking with witnesses, concluded it had been an accident. The vehicle was removed and the window boarded up.

Clarke said she felt extremely lucky.

Were Realtors; we work all different hours, she said. Brooke could have been there, working on an offer. . . . She probably would have been very, very seriously injured if not killed.

Since the accident involved a car, Clarke said the damage will likely be covered by ICBC. In the meantime, she said, the office is back up and running and open for business, complete with a sign noting that, Team Clarkes drive-through window was a smashing success.

Although the incident was no doubt unusual, Clarke is considering installing a barrier possibly a concrete planter in front of the window, she said, just as a precaution.

jweldon@nsnews.com