The family, of two parents and two children, ages 13 and 1, was in the middle of renovations to the home they’ve lived in for five years.
The semi trailer was carrying coffee creamer and frozen cookie dough. The impact took out two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a family room and other rooms.
UPDATE @ 10:18 p.m. (Aug. 10)
The passenger in the semi that smashed nearly through a house on U.S. 36 in Darke County is in stable condition at Miami Valley Hospital and the driver was treated at the scene and released, the Darke County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement released tonight.
Teresa Gill, 39, of Hanover, Pa., was trapped in the wreckage of the semi and what was left of the house for approximately two hours while rescuers stabilized the structure before they could free her.
Thomas Traver, 57, of Coaldale, Pa., was able to free himself from the wreckage.
According to the sheriff’s office, Traver was headed east on U.S. 36 West when the red 2015 Freightliner semitrailer he was driving traveled off the right side of the road and into the house. There were no occupants in the house at the time.
The accident drew a large response as deputies were joined by firefighters from Liberty Twp., New Madison, Hollansburg and Tri Village Rescue. Fire departments from Greenville city, Union City, Arcanum and Englewood provided additional resources.
At 10 p.m., one lane of U.S. 36 is open as crews continue their efforts to remove the semitrailer from the house.
UPDATE @ 6:26 p.m. (Aug. 10)
There is no fatality in the Darke County semi crash, but the victim left trapped in the rig has been taken to a hospital by CareFlight in serious condition, said Asst. Fire Chief Doug Wright, Liberty Twp. Fire Department.
Wright said the driver was able to get out of the house after the crash. “He had a hard time getting out. He was worried about his passenger,” the assistant chief said.
The passenger, a woman, was believed to have been in the sleeper part of the rig and was trapped by debris from the vehicle and the remains of the house.
“She was talking to us, but she was in serious condition, Wright said. Greenville firefighters, among the first on scene, shored up the structure so rescuers could get to the woman, he said, noting, “It took a long time because the house was structurally unsound.”
The names and ages of the driver and passenger have not been released. Wright said the house was not occupied at the time of the accident, but the house is home to a family that includes several children.
Workers are still trying to free the semitrailer from the structure, which has been severely damaged. The Regional Strike Team from Montgomery County has brought equipment to shore up the structure and assist in the extrication.
The semitrailer traveled through the back of the house and came to rest on top of the basement.
Wright said, “Our next object now, is to remove the trailer-trailer from the building. And that’s going to take a long time.”
U.S. 36 is closed and will remain closed for several hours, Wright said.
UPDATE @ 5:55 p.m.: Firefighters and medical personnel have erected tarps around the scene, indicating that the situation has become dire.
We are trying to confirm whether this accident has turned fatal.
UPDATE @ 5:21 p.m.: There are 20 to 30 firefighters and rescue workers at the scene where the semitrailer has rammed into the house on U.S. 36 in Darke County.
There are two medic units on scene and a bulldozer has been brought in as well.
UPDATE @ 4:47 p.m.: One person remains inside the rig of the semitrailer that has smashed into a house on U.S. 36, west of Palestine, according to Clinton Randall, a reporter with our news partner The Early Bird.
The condition of the second person who was inside the rig is not known.
The house is near the Indiana border and sits bout 30 feet off the roadway.
FIRST REPORT
A semitrailer has crashed into and possibly through a house in the 900 block of U.S. 36.
The accident was reported about 3:45 p.m. We’re hearing the house is vacant, according to Darke County sheriff’s deputies.
The house is unsafe and the two occupants are still inside the rig.
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