A Jeep SUV headed west on an Easton dead end continued past the end of the street Saturday, careening down a 15-to-20-foot-high hillside into a home’s yard.
Then as the driver attempted to move the vehicle, it burst into flames, sending orange flames and black smoke above the West Ward neighborhood, city fire Deputy Chief Chad Gruver said. The driver was taken by ambulance to the hospital. He suffered burns, according to Gruver.
It was reported around 3:50 p.m. at a home in the 400 block of North 12th Street.
The vehicle was headed west on Juniper Street, an alley just north of and parallel to Jackson Street that ends at the dead-end hillside leading down to the home on North 12th Street. It stopped just short of striking the home, Gruver said. Firefighters were able to keep the home from sustaining any major fire damage.
Next-door neighbor Tiffany Wagner was home, her son sleeping, when she heard a bang she thought was fireworks. Then she heard more bangs and went out to investigate.
“I ran out and there was sparks,” she said.
North 12th Street homeowner Jesse Torres also heard the explosions as the flames engulfed the compact SUV, which was maroon, until the flames left it a silver-metallic charred husk in the yard of the home.
“I could see the flames and the smoke coming from the back of the house,” Torres said.
A male resident of the home whose yard the vehicle landed in was home at the time but was uninjured. Torres and Wagner both saw the driver of the vehicle lying in the yard after he was able to get out, with Torres noting the resident there was trying to help him.
Easton police were continuing to investigate the crash.
Easton Auto Body responded to remove the vehicle.
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Kurt Bresswein may be reached at kbresswein@lehighvalleylive.com.
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