Cricket bats, cones and play equipment were left scattered after the dramatic crash, at Burnside Primary School in Burnside just before 1am this morning.
Police say the driver – a 25-year-old man – allegedly blew nearly three times the legal limit.
Locals said they heard the car scream down the street moments before the collision.
The Volkswagen also took out a fence before coming to a halt in the playground at the bottom of a slippery-dip.
“Just the most horrific crash, bang, I was asleep and I woke up,” Fran Walker said.
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“Just a really loud bang, it sounded like an explosion to be honest, sort of like an electrical explosion,” Chris Newton-Smith said.
“You could see some hazard lights and it looked like a car had sort of submerged itself in the play equipment.”
He was reported for drink driving without due care and will appear in court at a later date.
His two passengers also escaped unharmed.