By Jessica Schladebeck
New York Daily News
MANALAPAN, N.J. — The driver of an SUV lost control of the vehicle and slammed into a New Jersey home early Tuesday morning, causing it to burst into flames, police said.
The crash occurred around 5:02 a.m. on Craig Road near Symmes Drive in Manalapan. Police said the driver just missed a utility pole before the vehicle plowed into a single-family home not far away.
Video from News 12 captured the aftermath of the incident and the subsequent fire, showing the burnt-out remains of the SUV and the giant hole it made in the Manalapan home.
Shawnee Fitch, who lives next door, said her husband, a retired FDNY paramedic, helped another Good Samaritan pull the unconscious driver from his vehicle. She told News 12 she was sleeping in a room not far from where the crash occurred. She was not injured, but another person sleeping in another room did receive treatment for smoke inhalation.
The lone resident of the home was also rescued while firefighters battled back the blaze, police said. A dog also escaped the residence.
The driver, meanwhile, was treated on the scene and rushed to an area hospital. Their current condition was not clear, nor was the cause of crash, which remains under investigation.
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