A semi truck crashed through three homes on Staten Island after the drivers say he got “distracted.”
The incident happened on Monday, September 17th at around 5:43 a.m. in Mariners Harbor, Staten Island, New York City, New York.
According to the New York Post, the 54-year-old trucker was heading north on South Avenue near Arlington Place when he got “distracted” and lost control of the truck, sending the truck jumping over the curb and into a parked car before crashing into three separate homes.
“I heard a roar, and my wife jumped up, I jumped up,” said Emerson Willis, a resident of one of the houses damaged in the wreck.
“I looked out the window, and all I could see was something in the yard above me…I got outside, and I looked over and saw my wall was cracked…and I saw a truck sitting against my house. The driver, the door was open, and he was trying to get out.”
The truck driver was transported to Richmond University Medical Center with non life-threatening injuries.
The truck was hauling steel at the time of the accident, and officials say that the driver may have become “distracted” when he dropped a cigarette inside the cab of the vehicle, reported ABC 7 New York.
The homes had to be evacuated as crews stabilized and removed the tractor trailer.
The incident is still under investigation and no citations have been issued.