SAN ANTONIO -- A home goes up in flames after a car crashes into the house and hits a gas line. The driver of the car and the man inside the home, 88 year old John Cardenas both died. As of Sunday night the driver had not yet been identified.
This happened around 2:20 Saturday morning when police say the driver of a car was speeding and crashed into the house on the 4200 block of Timberhill Drive.
Witnesses said it all happened so fast. They passed by and noticed a car had smashed into a house. When they got closer and tried to help they heard a hissing of gas and then smelled smoke.
“There was just nothing but black smoke coming out and he said he heard somebody screaming in there but it was too late, he couldn't go in there and rescue them,” explained Valerie Gonzales.
Valerie couldn't believe what she was witnessing, adding, “I was scared, I was in shock. I didn't know what to think. As soon as I saw them I called 911.”
Valerie’s husband ran towards the house to try and help but by then, thick black smoke could be seen escaping from the house and a rage of flames were quickly taking over.
Manuel Gonzales said, “I came running up and I saw that the gas main was hissing so I figured we need to let everybody know even the neighbors that there is a gas leak”.
He then heard a voice inside the house and could tell somebody was trapped. But Manuel didn't know whether it was the driver of the car or the homeowner.
“I could hear somebody inside, but I couldn't tell where they were because the smoke was just too extreme, the smoke was just bad”.
By then others were also frantically trying to help out and rescue the man inside.
Fire fighters and police arrived and had to pull family members and witnesses away from the burning house. They could not get through the massive flames, thick smoke and the burglar bars that also got in the way of trying to save the elderly man that lived there.
Manuel said, “The neighbors pretty much, they are family members and they were screaming my grandfather's in there, my grandfather is in there”.
Police have confirmed an elderly man who lived inside the home alone died in the fire. The driver of the car also died. Their identities have not yet been released.
Police believe speed was a factor in what ultimately led to the massive blaze and the deaths of two people.
