A longtime New Jersey highschool observe and area coach and his spouse have been killed Saturday night time when their automobile crashed into a house, police stated.
Thomas Hengel, 72, and his spouse, 61-year-old Lisa Hengel, have been killed within the wreck in Harrison Township, native police stated in a press launch. Nobody within the residence was harmed.
Nonetheless, the residence did erupt in flames upon impression of the Hengels’ automobile, the Harrison Township Police Division stated. Emergency crews responded and doused the flames.
Hengel was driving a 2020 Hyundai Palisade when for unknown causes he instantly accelerated, hopped a curb, drove by means of two entrance yards and slammed into the home “with sufficient drive to undergo the wall and into the residence’s front room,” Harrison police acknowledged.
“The household whose residence it was, by the grace of God, was not in that entrance front room on the time the place the automobile crashed into,” Harrison Police Chief Ronald Cundey informed NJ.com. “They have been of their kitchen consuming dinner.”
The impression brought on each the automobile and home to go up in flames, authorities stated. The wreck stays below investigation, however police imagine it was a tragic accident.
Hengel was a cross nation and observe and area coach at Clearview Regional Excessive College from the Nineteen Eighties till he retired within the 2010s. Gloucester County inducted him into its native sports activities corridor of fame.
“A loyal and devoted Pioneer, Tom has additionally coached basketball, winter observe, and spring observe at Clearview for a complete of 94 mixed seasons!” the Gloucester County Sports activities Corridor of Fame wrote upon his induction in 2018. “His ladies winter observe groups have captured three state championships, and his groups have produced an extended checklist of particular person state champions in each girls and boys observe.”
