Residents of Erin Street were woken by a loud bang about 3am and discovered smoke.

Initially, there was confusion about the driver’s identity, but witnesses assisted the police in identifying him.

The 25-year-old driver allegedly refused an alcohol test.

“Really disappointing and frustrating for police that a professional driver, a taxi driver, was off duty with no passengers thankfully, would be involved in an incident like this,” SA Police Assistant Commissioner Simon Watkins said.

The taxi driver’s licence has been suspended for a year and he’s been charged with failing to comply with a breath test, failing to truly answer questions and driving without due care.