Husband, wife killed after vehicle crashes into NJ home, catches on fire

Husband, wife killed after vehicle crashes into NJ home, catches on fire

A tragic crash claimed the lives of a husband and wife, and left part of a home destroyed in South Jersey this weekend. FOX 29's Ellen Kolodziej has the story.

MULLICA HILL, N.J. - A tragic crash claimed the lives of a husband and wife, and left part of a home destroyed in South Jersey this weekend.

What we know:

Police say an SUV sped up for an unknown reason before hitting a curb, driving across two yards and crashing into a home on Banff Drive in Mullica Hill on Saturday evening.

The vehicle ended up in the living room, where a fire started and quickly engulfed the vehicle and most of the home.

The driver of the Hyundai, 72-year-old Thomas Hengel, and his passenger, 61-year-old Lisa Hengel, were both killed in the crash.

People were inside the home at the time, but police say they were evacuated and not harmed.

What we don't know:

Police say it is unknown why the vehicle accelerated before the crash.

Details about the extent of damage done to the house have yet to be released.

Dig deeper:

Thomas Hengel, the 72-year-old man killed in the crash, was a beloved sports coach at Clearview High School, according to a report by NJ.com.

The article also states that 61-year-old Lisa Hengel was Thomas' wife.

What you can do:

The family that lived in the home have started a GoFundMe page as they are "in urgent need of support as they work to rebuild their lives from the ground up," according to their page. 

Click here to learn more.