Dump truck crashes into house in Woodbury Heights, causing major collapse: officials
Video shows moments before dump truck crashes into NJ home amid medical emergency
Video captures the moments a commercial truck driver suffered a "Grand Mal" medical seizure and crashed into a home in Woodbury Heights Tuesday afternoon.
WOOODBURY HEIGHTS, N.J. - A dump truck driver and homeowner both escaped with their lives after the truck lost control and crashed into an occupied house Tuesday afternoon in Woodbury Heights.
What we know:
Authorities were called to the scene on the 600 block of Stratford Avenue after a commercial dump truck crashed into a home at around 1:40 p.m. Tuesday.
SKYFOX was live over the scene which showed the home in a totally collapsed state.
"If you are not a believer, man you better start believing now, because we’re living it" said Charles Zeisloft the owner of Zeisloft Trucking.
He says it’s a miracle no one was killed.
One of Zeisloft’s 73,000 pound dump trucks careened off the Woodbury-Glassboro Road and crashed into the two-story blue house on the corner of Stratford Avenue.
The company provided FOX 29 with driver dash cam video from inside the truck during the crash.
A second video shows the driver having what Ziesloft described as a "Grand Mal" medical seizure behind the wheel.
The truck carrying a load of construction sand is seen drifting across the Woodbury-Glassboro Road, hitting a utility pole, rolling across several front lawns before finally smashing into the home with the owner inside.
The dump truck ended up in the basement of the house as crews scrambled for two hours to rescue driver.
What they're saying:
Officials to provide update after dump truck crashed into NJ home
Officials provide an update after a dump truck crashed into a home in Woodbury Heights Tuesday afternoon.
Samantha Burke had just walked out of her house with her baby in her arms.
"I heard a loud crash. It sounded like a normal truck going over a speed bump and I saw him smash into the house," said Burke.
"The house is totaled. I’ve never seen that much devastation on a house. I mean I’ve seen cars hit houses but not like this" said neighbor Derek Keating.
Keating ran next door to help his neighbor who was trapped under the rubble as a natural gas line was leaking before first responders arrived.
"He was screaming for help and he wasn’t sure how bad he was hurt. I could see that he was bleeding and he was telling me he had some medical issues" said Keating.
Dig deeper:
The truck driver, identified by his boss as "Timmy", who has 25 years of experience, was on his way home for the day before he crashed.
He was pulled from the rubble after being trapped.
He actually called his boss as he was trapped in the wreckage, not knowing what had happened.
"He wanted to tell me that he was in an accident. And that’s what he called me about. I said, "Timmy I’m already here" I said "You are down in the basement of a home and I’m happy to hear you are OK," said Zeisloft.
By early evening, the dump truck was removed by wreckers and demolition crews were forced to bring down what was left of the house.
Amazingly, it appears the homeowner and driver escaped major injuries.
"Timmy the driver has been with us probably for 25 years. Loyal, dependable driver and he just lost his wife about a year ago" said Zeisloft.
Zeisloff says he happened to be in a meeting with an insurance company about a liability policy when the crash happened.
In another coincidence, he says he also knows the homeowner after his late wife used to care for Zeisloft’s son.