CAPE CORAL, Fla. — A Cape Coral family was lucky to be out of the house Wednesday afternoon, as a tow truck crashed right through their garage and into their home.
Fox 4 spoke with the homeowner who was shaken up and still trying to wrap her mind around what was left intact of her home.
Late Wednesday afternoon, Cape Coral Fire and Cape Coral Police responded to the corner of Southwest Chiquita Boulevard, south of Pine Island Road, to find a tow truck buried in a garage.
“Yeah, we can’t stay, we have to get out, they just cut the electricity," said Glenda Prieto, the owner of the home.
Prieto lives in the home with her husband and seven-year-old daughter, but currently can't stay at the residence with so much damage to clean up after a City's Towing and Recovery truck crashed into their garage.
”We had two sofas there, you can’t tell but that’s a TV there," Prieto said. "We always sat in the garage, my daughter always plays out here too.”
Her family wasn't home at the time, but her neighbors were.
HAPPENING NOW: Crews are at a home on Chiquita BLVD trying to pull a tow truck out of a home. No one was home at the time , but the driver was transported to the hospital. Tonight at 6, we will hear from witnesses that assisted the driver and called 911. @Fox4Now pic.twitter.com/e8m0cofdLD
— Briana Brownlee (@BreBrownleeTV) May 10, 2023
“It was a loud crash and bang…and then a large smoke cloud," said Tianna Sandor a neighbor who called 911.
“I was in my first room here, which is my office, when I heard a big bang," said neighbor Miriam Jirom.
Neighbors in the area said they are familiar with the towing company.
“He towed my [car] not too long ago," Sandor said. "He and his father owned the company. They are great people and were super nice to me.”
Witnesses ran to the aid of the driver and said he was drifting in and out of consciousness. Neighbors said when crews arrived they had to use the jaws of life to get the driver out before rushing him to the hospital.
“He was alert, he was answering questions they were asking him.”
Fox 4's Briana Brownlee spoke with the driver Thursday morning who said he is out of the hospital and recovering at home. He said a medical issue caused the crash, although this has not been confirmed by officials. Fox 4 will post updates as they are made available.
The driver also said he has been in contact with the homeowner.
Cape Fire is working with the Red Cross to find housing for the family.
