Florida family regroups, recovers after SUV slams into home, setting it ablaze
KISSIMMEE, Fla. - A family is recovering after a driver suffering a medical emergency slammed into their home, causing it to catch fire, according to officials. When the fire started, one of the homeowners, Isaac Rivera, was upstairs.
"I looked to my right and I saw my closet, the top, it just literally collapsed," he explained.
Rivera said he didn’t want to jump out of the window. So instead, he had to hop down the balcony of the stairs, landing on top of the debris and hurting his leg. He met up with the rest of the family in the kitchen, and they all tried desperately to escape the home.
"We tried to evacuate first through the back of the porch, but the door was welded shut."
RELATED: Driver crashes into Florida home after likely suffering medical emergency, troopers say
Fortunately, they were able to make it out through the garage and get away without any major injuries.
Rivera spent the day after the accident going through his house with his insurance company, re-living the moments that nearly claimed his family’s lives. He said his little sister and five-year-old daughter were playing in the front room just minutes before this car slammed through it.
"To know that I could’ve lost her and not be talking to her today – that kind of brought tears to my eyes."
The driver’s wife told FOX 35 News that he suffered a seizure for the first time, which is what led to the crash. He slammed into several mailboxes, and a car with 76-year-old Jose Soto inside.
"I was frozen. If he would’ve hit me, he would’ve killed me," said Soto. "Thank God, nobody got killed."
Another witness told us he could have been killed as well.
Juan Azize said he has the same routine every day. He checks his mailbox, then walks inside the house. Thursday, his hands were full, so he went to the house first. If he hadn’t, he would’ve been hit and killed by the driver speeding down the street.
"As soon as I put the stuff down, I heard an explosion," said Azize. "It’s just surreal. It really is. I have no words."
He said there were also kids playing across the street who could’ve been hit by the car too.
"It’s really a miracle that nobody died," Azize added.
Scary video: Florida driver speeds through neighborhood before crashing into home with 8 people inside
A 38-year-old Kissimmee, Florida, man likely suffered a possible medical emergency when he crashed his SUV into an Osceola County home Thursday, according to the Florida Highway Patrol. The impact caused his vehicle to burst into flames, burning a large portion of the home. Eight people were inside the house at the time of the crash. Troopers said none of them were hurt. The driver, however, suffered serious injuries. A homeowner provided FOX 35 News with a Ring camera video which shows the moments before the driver crashed into the home.
The driver is fine – his wife said the seizure made his body go limp, which protected him from breaking any bones. A doctor is trying to figure out what led to the medical episode.
Meanwhile, the Rivera family is thankful for their own health. Their bird, Molly, died in the fire, but they were able to save their two dogs, Max and Gazu.
"He wouldn’t come out, so I had to lift up the bed and furniture and throw It just to get him out of there," explained Rivera.
The dogs and the rest of the family are staying at a hotel until they can get back on their feet. Their focus now is on rebuilding and moving forward.
Rivera’s daughter turns six on Saturday. He and his brother both told me it’s nice to have something to celebrate this weekend.