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SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - Residents around Forrest Drive are dealing with extensive damage along a stretch of sidewalk after a 22-year-old Yellowknife resident lost control of his vehicle near the corner of Forrest Drive and Taylor Road last Thursday at 7:30 p.m.

Linda MacInnis and her children Jack and Mia are standing next to the remains of the fire hydrant next to their house. A driver lost control and sheared the hydrant at its base.The vehicle jumped the curb, struck a fire hydrant and sheered it off at the base. The vehicle then knocked down a fence. - Jason Emiry/NNSL photo

Linda MacInnis is the owner of the home with the damaged property.

"We were home," said MacInnis. "We were, thank God, not outside. I was giving my daughter a bath. I heard the commotion but I didn't see the actual event."

Her children are usually playing outside in the yard but Thursday night they weren't.

"It was by the grace of God that no one was hurt," said MacInnis.

MacInnis and her husband are concerned about the safety of her children and the speeds at which drivers pass their house.

"They could put a three-way stop at our corner," said MacInnis. "That would get drivers to slow down. This is a busy street all year round. Many people walk along the sidewalk."

Frame Lake MLA Wendy Bisaro was at her house across the street. She didn't see what happened but "the noise was huge," she said.

Sandra Green and her husband were in town for a wedding, staying in the neighbourhood with a member of the family.

They were loading kids into vehicles to go to a party that evening shortly before the accident. She felt the incident could have been worse had people been on the sidewalk.

"What scares me is what could have happened," she said.

According to police, the driver was charged with dangerous operation of a motor vehicle and will appear in court to answer to the charge Oct. 13.

It was the second dangerous driving incident reported to police within two days.

A 16-year-old boy was charged with dangerous driving and mischief charges after he reportedly drove a pick-up truck through two front yards on Rycon Drive Aug. 13.