An innocuous insect was a central figure in a dramatic car accident in Umdloti‚ north of Durban‚ in which a car slammed into a house on Sunday.

Reaction Unit South Africa spokesman Prem Balram said that a car had veered from Beach Road before obliterating a tree and slamming into a home — all because the driver had been trying to swat an insect on the steering wheel.

He said that five passengers from the car‚ including a 5-month-old baby‚ were lucky to have escaped serious injury.

“It was established that the occupants of the VW Golf had left their church in Mandini and were returning home to Verulam when an insect jumped onto the steering wheel.

“The driver attempted to swat the insect resulting in the vehicle veering off the road‚ climbing over a fallen tree before crashing into the house‚” he added.

Balram said that the people inside the house‚ who were allegedly drunk‚ had then tried to exact justice on the churchgoers.

“The occupants of the house were not injured however they were under the influence of alcohol and threatened to assault the driver. Other residents intervened and prevented the assault. “The house was extensively damaged in the accident‚” Balram said.