Summary
- A Toyota Corolla crashed into a second-story bedroom of a house in Pennsylvania, with authorities believing it was an intentional act.
- Rescue crews worked for over three hours to extract the vehicle from the building and stabilize the structure.
- The driver of the Corolla, Evan Miller, sustained injuries and is being charged with multiple crimes, including aggravated assault, recklessly endangering another person, and criminal mischief.
We have seen some spectacular crashes occur on roads around the world. Some were due to silly mistakes, and some that became potentially life-threatening. A few incidents may have been strange, but none as strange as the one that took place on August 6.
Reportedly, a gray 2006 Toyota Corolla crashed into the second-story bedroom of a house in Pennsylvania. The driver sustained injuries that required them to be taken to the hospital. The story of how the car landed there is fascinating. Authorities believe the act was intentional, which leads to more questions than answers.
The incident took place in Decatur Township, Pennsylvania. Reports suggest that the occupants of the vehicle were outside the car when first responders arrived and were taken to the hospital. While residents of the house were medically examined, they did not go to the hospital. The condition of the driver of the Corolla is currently unknown.
The Flying Toyota Corolla Was Not An Accident
Some car crashes occur accidentally due to driver error or are caused by unforeseen variables. But Pennsylvania State Police have stated that they believe it to be an intentional act. However, they have not explicitly revealed their reason to believe so.
According to The Washington Post, the driver has been identified as 20-year-old, Evan Miller from Lewistown. It is unclear if Miller is known to the residents of the house he crash-landed the Japanese car into.
The Junction Fire Department states that the extensive rescue crew included Squad 5, Truck One, Engine 2 Squad 2, Police, and Parsons towing. They all worked together to extract the vehicle lodged into the second-story room of the building.
Following this, they ensured the structure was stabilized. The rescue crew also helped the homeowners cover the gaping hole in the building with a tarp to protect them from upcoming storms. The entire operation is said to have taken over three hours to bring the vehicle down and stabilize the structure of the building.
It is hard to gauge the extent of damages sustained by the vehicle and the house. But we can clearly see from the released images that the upstairs bedroom of the house has a gaping hole when the car crashed into it.
Additionally, there seems to be extensive damage to its exterior walls. The rescue team even used metal beams to stop the roof from collapsing, as the dormer window was also damaged. The vehicle broke the exterior wall and rested on the roof of the front porch.
Images of the car from the incident reveal that the front end was naturally crushed, leaving it unrecognizable. The vehicle structure held together well and the airbags had deployed, which is possibly why the driver survived with only minor injuries. The images also reveal large dents on the front fender and some deformity of the roof of the vehicle.
The front windshield is clearly destroyed. The driver’s side of the car is completely wrecked and the rear bumper is seemingly missing.
How Miller Launched The Corolla In The Air And Into The House
Miller’s motive and the incident overall are still under investigation. Speaking to The Washington Post, Sam Baumgardner, the administrator of the Junction Fire Company, claims that Miller hit a culvert near the property, and the slope around the tunnel would have helped the car get airborne on impact. The vehicle gained quite a bit of airtime it seems as it cleared other vehicles on the street before spectacularly crashing into the residential establishment.
Baumgardner stated; “The raise and elevation from the bottom and top of the culvert was enough to give the vehicle the ability to clear the vehicles in the driveway and land in the second floor of the house,”
Authorities Are Filing Charges Against The Flying Corolla Driver
Images released by the Junction Fire Department show the extent of the damage. At the time of the incident, the room, and the section of the house, were fortunately unoccupied. However, one of the homeowners was present inside the house on the lower floor and was uninjured.
The incident did not take place late at night, but in broad daylight at 3:15 PM. Had the incident taken place at night, it is possible the bedroom in which the car crashed could have been occupied.
Sustaining injuries from the incident, Miller was taken to Geisinger Lewistown Hospital. However, authorities are charging Miller with multiple charges that include aggravated assault, recklessly endangering another person, and criminal mischief. Should the 20-year-old driver be convicted, he may be sentenced to 5-20 years in prison.
Source: The Washington Post