Stonington — Lucia Johnstone said she was drinking a cup of coffee with her husband in their home at 38 Broad St. when heard what sounded like a loud explosion.

"At first, I thought the painter fell off his ladder, but then I saw smoke coming into the house and a car was right at our doorstep," said Johnstone.

Sgt. Mike Peckham said it appears that an elderly female driver lost control of the her car while engaging in a parking maneuver, jumped the curb and struck the house.

Peckham said a building inspector said the home was safe to live in.

Johnstone said the driver is her neighbor, and is thankful that she is not injured.

The woman walked herself into a waiting ambulance. Peckham said she was taken to an area hospital as a precaution.

The red, four-door Honda Civic appears to have sustained minimal damage. One of the decorative columns outside the front door was smashed and wooden siding by the door was cracked.

Johnstone said the plaster walls inside the house were also damaged.

The incident remains under investigation.