Overview
- Police say a 2020 Hyundai Palisade suddenly accelerated, jumped a curb, crossed two yards and crashed into a Banff Drive home on Saturday evening.
- The impact sparked a fire that engulfed the SUV and much of the house; the residents escaped uninjured but the home was deemed uninhabitable.
- Thomas Hengel, 72, a longtime Clearview Regional High School teacher and coach, and his wife, Lisa, 61, died at the scene, according to authorities.
- The Gloucester County Prosecutor’s Office is assisting Harrison Township police in the ongoing investigation into whether a medical event or a stuck pedal caused the crash.
- Community tributes are pouring in for the Hengels, and a GoFundMe for the displaced family has raised more than $20,000, local outlets report.