Car Smashes Into Nutley House Near Elementary School (VIDEO)

NUTLEY, NJ — A driver crashed into a Nutley home near an elementary school on Tuesday at 4:05 p.m., forcing a multi-agency rescue effort and leaving the house with a gaping hole in the wall. While the driver was hospitalized in stable condition, authorities stressed that the crash could have been much worse, as children at the school had just left for the day.

According to the Nutley Police Department, a 46-year-old Nutley resident driving a 2004 GMC Yukon crashed into a home at Passaic Avenue and Lakeside Drive, which is located a few blocks away from Yantacaw Elementary School.

When emergency responders arrived on the scene, they found the car lodged halfway into a brick wall and its driver trapped in the vehicle. A coordinated effort between the Nutley fire, police and EMS workers ultimately succeeded in rescuing the driver, who was taken to a nearby hospital. They were listed in stable condition as of Tuesday evening, authorities said.

Newark, Hackensack and Paterson fire crews also assisted at the scene. Utilities at the house needed to temporarily be disconnected during the incident, authorities said.

According to police, the residents of the home weren’t present at the time of the crash. However, the collision took place in an area of the house where the homeowner spends much of her time.

Nutley Police Chief Thomas Strumolo said that it was “very fortunate” that no children were present at the time of the crash, since the home is in close proximity to an elementary school and classes had just dismissed for the day.

“The first responders did a remarkable job at securing the scene and getting the driver to a hospital as quickly and safely as possible,” Strumolo said.

Nutley Police Director Alphonse Petracco thanked the emergency responders and outside agencies that “quickly rendered assistance” during the incident.

Local videographer Demonracer2 posted a video taken at the scene.

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Photo: YouTube / Demonracer2