Authorities say a driver was arrested and hospitalized after recklessly rolling his truck over into an occupied house, causing the vehicle and house to catch on fire, in McHenry early Wednesday morning.
The McHenry Police Department and McHenry Township Fire Protection District responded around 2:18 a.m. Wednesday to the 900 block of Center Street for a report of a vehicle crash involving a structure.
McHenry Township Fire Protection District Battalion Chief David Harwood said it was initially reported that a vehicle had crashed into a home and rolled over with a person trapped.
Emergency crews arrived on the scene within three minutes to find a vehicle had crashed into a tree and rolled over into the front yard of a house.
The vehicle was on fire and spreading to the residence it was up against, Harwood said.
The response was immediately upgraded to a structure fire, bringing in additional fire crews to the scene.
Harwood said firefighters deployed a hose line to protect the residence and also checked the house and vehicle for occupants.
A police officer had already entered the house to evacuate the sole occupant of the house. They were removed without injury.
No one was located in or around the vehicle. The fire was extinguished within 10 minutes.
The interior of the residence had minor damage and two windows had to be boarded up, Harwood said. The house is still habitable.
A preliminary investigation determined the black 2004 Ford F-250 pickup truck had been traveling on Center Street in a reckless manner, according to the McHenry Police Department.
The Ford exited the roadway, rolled over and struck the single-family home before catching fire and spreading to the home.
Police officials said the driver was identified as Jeremy L. Lisafeld, 26, of McHenry. He fled the scene on foot but was located in the area a short time later.
Lisafeld was transported by ambulance to Northwestern Medicine McHenry Hospital in good condition with minor injuries.
He has since been released and was transported to the McHenry Police Department where he was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol, reckless driving and leaving the scene of a crash.
Lisafeld was released from custody pending court proceedings.