Massachusetts

‘The House Shook:' Car Crashes Into House, Catches Fire in Medford

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A car slammed into a tree and hit a house before it caught fire Thursday night in Medford, Massachusetts.

“I heard a bang and a big flash. If you’ve ever seen a hand grenade or a mortar round go off, that’s what it was like," said Patrick Theberge, who owns the Lawrence Road home.

The crash occurred shortly before 11 p.m. Thursday.

“The house shook a little bit. My wife was upstairs. I just yelled, ‘Call 911! A car hit the house!" Theberge said.

The impact obliterated the front end and left it in flames. Despite all that, people who rushed over to help were able to pull the driver out.

"You think it’s almost like a movie. You see these things on TV sometimes," neighbor Dominick Camarra said.

Bill Radochia, who lives next door, ran outside to find debris in his own driveway.

"Engine landed at the house, the transmission was on the driveway, the car landed on the stairs in flames, and it if wasn’t for the neighbors all to get together with fire extinguishers and everything the house would’ve caught fire," he said.

The SUV also took out a chunk of a tree in front of the home, dented the siding, and left tire marks in the grass.

It is not clear what caused the driver to veer off the road.

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