The noise came first. Then the damage arrived all at once. Just after 7 p.m. on December 11, a box truck barreled down Cardiff Street in San Diego. Home security footage shows the driver clipping a parked trailer, ripping through a fence, smashing into a Toyota Camry, and shoving the car straight into a family home.

Inside was 27-year-old Anissa Zinsli, who missed being struck by seconds.

“It was inches,” her mother, Debbie Zinsli, told FOX 5. Anissa had stepped out of the bathroom after hearing the first impact. Moments later, debris blasted through the space. “She let out a gut-wrenching scream that still haunts me.”

The truck (and driver) didn’t get far after the crash

Zinsli said the at-fault driver tried to back away but only made it to the end of the driveway.

Police conducted a DUI test, and the 58-year-old appeared to pass.

But what came next is what has turned a terrifying night into a financial nightmare.

Zinsli later learned the driver had a suspended license…and no insurance

“This has affected us emotionally, physically, financially — everything,” she said.

The Camry was totaled. Zinsli estimated its value at about $38,000. Her daughter had paid it off earlier this year and relies on it to get to work.

The crash also tore into part of the home’s bathroom and destroyed a nearby trailer owned by Zinsli’s stepfather, who lives next door with her mother.

With the driver uninsured, Zinsli believes her family may be on the hook for repairs that could run into the tens of thousands of dollars

Around Christmas, that’s a brutal surprise. She has since started a GoFundMe to help cover the costs.

“It hurt a lot — something we’re not going to easily recover from,” she said.

From an insurance standpoint, cases like this often fall into a gray zone

Homeowners insurance may cover structural damage, depending on the policy’s fine print and deductibles.

Car insurance could help if the family carries uninsured motorist property damage coverage. Not everyone does.

Even when coverage exists, claims take time, and out of pocket costs arrive fast.

Authorities have not yet said whether the driver will face charges. Anissa is currently using a rental car to get to work. Her mother hopes the story serves as a reminder.

“It’s not OK. It’s the law,” Zinsli said. “You need insurance so people can recover from these things without having to ask the public for help.”