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Two-Vehicles Crash Into Central PA House Causing Massive Fire, Police Say

Multiple families were displaced and one person was hospitalized after two vehicles crashed into a home causing a large fire on Thursday night, according to police.

Two-vehicles into a home causing a fire.

Two-vehicles into a home causing a fire.

Photo Credit: Ephrata police

Crews were called to a motor vehicle into a home at the corner of Cocalico Road and West Route 897 in West Cocalico Township, Lancaster County Thursday around 7:15 p.m., Lancaster County-Wide Communications dispatchers told Daily Voice.

Ephrata Police were also called to the area for the two-vehicle accident resulting in a vehicle fire and then a dwelling fire, police said in a release on early Friday morning.

A 2016 Subaru WRX traveling southbound on South Cocalico Road collided with a 2013 Dodge Ram heading eastbound on Route 897 shortly before 7:15 p.m., as stated in the police release.

The two vehicles then struck a nearby multi-family dwelling, according to police.

“Both drivers, in addition to a passenger in the Dodge truck, were able to free themselves from their vehicles prior to the Dodge Ram catching fire,” police say.

The vehicle fire spread to the dwelling and “nearby electrical wires,” police say.

It is unclear if there was an electric outage in the area caused by the wires catching fire.

The driver of the Subaru was transported to Lancaster General Hospital for non-life threatening injuries, according to police.

The driver and passenger of the Dodge Ram were treated on scene for minor injuries and released, police say.

Ten people who reside in the house, 4 adults and 6 children, from multiple families, were displaced due to the fire.

The American Red Cross responded and assisted the families affected by the fire.

The community is already rallying for one of the families who lived in the home by launching a GoFundMe campaign page.

The page was set up by a resident’s cousin, Nicole Zandier.

Zandler’s cousin Chantel received a call from her landlord with “some of the worst possible news ever,” she states on the page.

Chantel (her last name was not released), her boyfriend and their four children; August, 6, Aries, 3, and twins Aaliyah and Kehlani, 1, are “safe and sound” at Zandler’s home, according to her post.

No one was in the home at the time of the crash, according to Zandler’s campaign page.

Zandler is asking the community for help getting her cousin’s family back on their feet.

The campaign has raised $490 of a $1,000 goal as of Friday morning.

“They’ve literally work(ed) their butts off to give their children the best lives that they possibly can, and tonight it was all taken away from them within a matter of minutes," Zandler says. 

The status of the other four people displaced by the crash has not been released, but police say the Red Cross assisted everyone in finding a place to stay.

“The Ephrata Police were assisted on scene by fire/rescue and EMS agencies from Ephrata. Lincoln, Reamstown, Reinholds, Denver, Northwest EMS, Durlach/Mt. Airy, Schoeneck, Adamstown, PSP Fire marshal. as well as fire and EMS units from Lebanon and Berks counties,” as stated in the police release.

If you would like to donate to the GoFundMe campaign you can do so here.

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