Car drives into house in Chicago Ridge

CHICAGO RIDGE, Ill. (WLS) -- Charges have been filed against the man police say was drunk when his car slammed into a suburban home very early Saturday morning.

Amazingly, the three people sleeping inside the Chicago Ridge home were not hurt.

Police say the driver was speeding down the street and instead of turning left, he went over the curb and on the way crossed the driveway, clipped a tree before landing in a corner of the house where the kitchen is located. A little to the left is the living room where the owner was sleeping on the couch.

The car hit the house with a loud crash, coming to a stop inside the kitchen. Despite the damage to the structure and to the car, the four people in the car were also unhurt.

In fact, the driver was standing in the kitchen when the owners ran to check what happened.

"Luckily my little brother was here with them," said Jennifer Burke. "He came down, he was sleeping upstairs, and he told the guy, 'What's going on, what are you doing?' By that time the guy said nothing and my brother told him to get out of our house, and he went to his car and the cops were here."

Police took the driver, 27-year-old Ryan Arvanites into custody, issuing five traffic citations, as well as two felony charges, aggravated DUI and driving with a revoked license.

Police say his license was revoked seven years ago for another DUI. This incident, they say, could have been much more serious.

"It's probably a blessing the way the scene was," said Chief Robert Pyznarski, Chicago Ridge Police. "The four occupants in the vehicle were never hurt. Nobody went to the hospital or anything, and the people inside the house, nobody was hurt."

"I can't imagine how the people felt in the middle of the night, waking up, seeing the car destroy your house," said neighbor Josh Chacon.

Crews were able to board up the home quickly and cover the damaged area with tarp. The owners are staying elsewhere for now.

"They were really scared and shooken up," Burke said. "My grandmother was crying. They've lived in this house for four years. This is their home and it just got destroyed in one night."

Arvanites is being held at the Cook County Jail and is due in bond court Sunday morning.