On May 20, Samantha Burke, a longtime resident and homeowner in Gloucester County, New Jersey, was getting ready to run some errands with her infant when she heard a disturbing sound. Before she even got in her car, though, something entirely unexpected completely halted her plans. From her neighbor’s house, there was a loud bang, followed by screams for help.

“My son and I were walking out of our door when I heard a loud crash as we were coming out,” she told ABC7. “The next thing I know, there was a truck in our neighbor’s yard, in his house.”

A dump truck had crashed into her neighbor’s house at just over 40 mph. The impact was so intense, only the truck’s tail lights were visible from what was her neighbor’s living room. Wood, plaster, and other materials were falling around the truck. 

Her neighbor was sitting in his recliner when the 73,000-pound truck crashed through the home. The homeowner ended up trapped under the rubble. 

“I heard my neighbor yelling,” continued Burke. “But the house was starting to crumble, so we couldn’t do anything.”

The dump truck driver apparently suffered a medical emergency behind the wheel

Neighbors collectively called 911, and crews rushed to the scene. Medical staff rushed to the scene. It took rescuers three hours to free both the driver and the trapped homeowner. 

While at the hospital, the 61-year-old driver was tested to see if he was under the influence. He was sober, but medical staff determined he suffered a seizure. While he suffered through the seizure, he lost control of the truck, resulting in the crash.

Before colliding with the home, the driver crashed into a utility pole. Crews found that the home sustained so much damage, it shifted four feet from its foundation. A large part of it had to be demolished.

Both the driver and the homeowner were released from the hospital with minor injuries. Doctors say both are headed towards a full recovery.

Viewers were shocked, but felt glad no one was seriously injured

Those who watched the Inside Edition’s coverage of the incident were sympathetic to both the driver and the homeowner. One wrote that the homeowner, however, suffered the greatest loss. 

“Wow! The house was demolished,” they wrote. “Being injured and losing your house has to be so hard.”

Someone else noted that the weight of the dump truck was a large factor in the damage done. 

“Even the smaller dump trucks can weigh close to 15 tons,” they wrote. “Considering it was going 40 mph, that might as well have been a wrecking ball. There are very few homes that can survive 15+ tons of metal going that fast.”

Another wrote that a seizure while driving was how they discovered something more serious was happening to them. 

“I had a seizure in a similar circumstance,” their comment read. “But I managed to pull over. I had a broken spine when I woke up, and was diagnosed with brain cancer. I hope the driver’s okay.”