A medical emergency or stuck gas pedal is suspected in a fatal crash that sparked a house fire in Glouco Saturday
A husband and wife have died after their SUV accelerated out of their yard and struck a neighbor's house in Mullica Hill, N.J.
Officials say a medical emergency or an issue with the gas pedal may have led the driver of an SUV to accelerate into a neighbor’s yard and crash into a house in Mullica Hill, N.J., killing the husband and wife in the vehicle and causing a house fire.
Thomas Hengel, 72, and his wife Lisa Hengel, 61, both died after their vehicle became trapped in the neighbor’s house on Banff Road, according to Harrison Township Police Chief Ronald Cundey.
“The family in the house, by the grace of God, were in the kitchen, and they weren’t injured,” Cundey said. The home is uninhabitable as a result of the fire, and the family has been temporarily relocated, he said.
Officials are working to determine whether the driver suffered a “medical event” or if the gas pedal “got stuck,” Cundey added.
Hengel was a retired teacher from Clearview High School, Cundey noted. He also was a longtime track coach.
“It’s just a tragedy,” said Harrison Township Mayor Adam Wingate. He described the township, in Gloucester County about a half hour outside Philadelphia, as a tight-knit community of about 14,000 people, where everyone knows everyone.
The mayor and the police chief both applauded the quick response from the Harrison Township Fire District and other first responder agencies from throughout the county.
“It’s a real shock, and it’s sad.” Cundey said. “I’m sure lots of people will have thoughts and prayers for both families.”