Water Tanker Crashes into Home in Susquehanna County
By: Eric Deabill
Updated: March 12, 2013
Hop Bottom, Susquehanna County-As the rain came pouring down Tuesday., blue tarps helped to hide the damage to a home on Forest Street in Hop Bottom.
A water tanker plowed right into the home, as well as a garage, around 9:00 o'clock Monday Night.
" I thought it was an explosion and we got out here and there was just smoke and the house -- the house was laying all over in the road." said Neighbor, Ann Marie Belotti.
Neighbors were stunned and in amazement over the crash. They took photos and gave them to Eyewitness News.
Many were getting ready for bed a the time of the crash.
"It was a lot dustier than normal so my roommate said, no, there's a truck up in the neighbor's garage and we looked up and sure enough there he was" said Dan Seese
State Police identify the driver of the truck as 43-year-old Dana Francis of Binghamton.
Troopers say he was driving the water truck down forest road, towards Route 11, when he lost control in a railroad tunnel.
His water truck hit the tunnel, then slammed into the home and garage.
Neighbors say he should have never been on the road.
"There's a sign right there, weight limit 10 tons. If you're driving a commercial vehicle, you're licensed 26,001 pounds or more. That's more than 10 tons." said Seese
Relatives say the man inside the home, Tim Hortman, was in his living room... Right where the truck hit just moments before impact.
They say he heard the truck hit the railroad tunnel and moved to investigate.
He was checked out at the hospital... But later released.
"Today it looks so much worse than last night. I mean, that's horrible but seeing it in the daylight is horrible." said Belotti
State Police in Gibson say the investigation into what happened here is still ongoing.
A water tanker plowed right into the home, as well as a garage, around 9:00 o'clock Monday Night.
" I thought it was an explosion and we got out here and there was just smoke and the house -- the house was laying all over in the road." said Neighbor, Ann Marie Belotti.
Neighbors were stunned and in amazement over the crash. They took photos and gave them to Eyewitness News.
Many were getting ready for bed a the time of the crash.
"It was a lot dustier than normal so my roommate said, no, there's a truck up in the neighbor's garage and we looked up and sure enough there he was" said Dan Seese
State Police identify the driver of the truck as 43-year-old Dana Francis of Binghamton.
Troopers say he was driving the water truck down forest road, towards Route 11, when he lost control in a railroad tunnel.
His water truck hit the tunnel, then slammed into the home and garage.
Neighbors say he should have never been on the road.
"There's a sign right there, weight limit 10 tons. If you're driving a commercial vehicle, you're licensed 26,001 pounds or more. That's more than 10 tons." said Seese
Relatives say the man inside the home, Tim Hortman, was in his living room... Right where the truck hit just moments before impact.
They say he heard the truck hit the railroad tunnel and moved to investigate.
He was checked out at the hospital... But later released.
"Today it looks so much worse than last night. I mean, that's horrible but seeing it in the daylight is horrible." said Belotti
State Police in Gibson say the investigation into what happened here is still ongoing.
