LOS ANGELES, Jan. 16 (UPI) -- A Los Angeles man says he thought he was dreaming when he woke up in his closet moments after a car crashed into his apartment.

Alex Pudenz, 36, was sleeping peacefully in his Venice-district home early Saturday when a car plowed through his bedroom wall and sent him flying.


"I feel lucky and shaken up," Pudenz told the Los Angeles Times. "I'm just happy I'm alive."

The Times said Sunday that Pudenz suffered a few bruises and scrapes, but was indeed lucky since the car left tire marks on the edge of his bed.

The groggy computer programmer said he was rudely snapped into the world of the awakened when heard the car's driver calling for help, so he went next door and used a neighbor's phone to call 911. Firefighters extinguished a small fire and took the woman to the hospital with moderate injuries.