Residents of the Ridgewood Senior Living at Historic Smithville complex in Galloway, New Jersey, were evacuated after a van crashed and burst into flames at a building there late Sunday.
As can be seen in video obtained by NBC10, a van was found engulfed in flames after crashing at the senior living building, located along the 700 block of East Moss Mill Road in Galloway Township, New Jersey, at about 11:44 p.m. on Sunday night.
According to Chuck Uhl, assistant fire chief of the Oceanville Fire Company, about 109 people were in the complex when the van struck the building.
In a morning update on Monday, police said the incident happened when a 2023 Ram van “crashed into the front of the building” and burst into flames.
During the response, officials said, over 100 residents and staff members were evacuated from the building.
Two people, police said in an update, suffered minor injuries during this evacuation and they were both hospitalized following this incident.
Police believe the crash occurred when a van, driven by 40-year-old Eliel Vazquez-Hernandez, of Mays Landing, left the roadway while traveling at a high rate of speed.
Officials said the van moved through the intersection for Route 9 and into the parking area for the senior living community, where it struck several objects, including a fire hydrant and a parked vehicle, before hitting the building.
Uhl said, the crash didn’t cause any major damage to the senior living complex, but it could have easily been much worse.
“This could have been a very bad situation but we have a great fire department here in Galloway township. Our surrounding communities helped us out tremendously,” Uhl said. “We made what could have been a bad situation go away very quickly.”
Uhl said that once crews arrived at the scene, the fire was extinguished and it was determined that the structure didn’t sustain any major damage and, after the fire was cleared, residents were allowed to return to their rooms overnight.
And, through the van burst into flames following the crash, the fire didn’t spread into the building at all.
In a statement shared with NBC10 early Monday, officials at the senior living center said they were grateful that no residents or employees were injured in this incident.
“Emergency crews responded to Ridgewood Senior Living this evening following a serious motor vehicle accident in which a vehicle struck the building and caught fire. As a precaution, residents were safely relocated to another area of the community,” read the statement. “All residents and employees are safe and accounted for, and no residents are being transported from the community at this time. Our team continues to work closely with emergency personnel, and we are grateful for their prompt response and assistance.”
However, Uhl said it didn’t appear that the van actually struck the building — but it did come to rest against the building following a crash.
Nicholas Bramble, of Galloway, New Jersey, told NBC10, he saw the flames and rushed to help after calling 9-1-1.
“Fortunately, I was thankful that we were able to notice this very quickly and get to the scene quickly and we were actually able to get some of the residents out of the building and bring them to safety,” he said.
The driver of the van, Vazquez-Hernandez, officials said, was taken into custody after the crash after police at the scene believed he was driving while intoxicated.
He has been charged with DUI as well as assault by auto, criminal mischief and related offenses, police said.
Police said Vazquez-Hernandez was injured in the crash and he has been hospitalized and is awaiting transfer transported to the Atlantic County Justice Facility.
This is a breaking news story. It will be updated as new information becomes available.
