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A Somers Point man was injured after he allegedly crashed a stolen truck into several Atlantic City stores while intoxicated.
The crash at about 4:30 Christmas morning set the building in the 3300 block of Atlantic Avenue on fire, displacing numerous residents who live in the upstairs apartments, Sgt. Kevin Fair said.
Residents had to escape through thick smoke as fire alarms blared.
“It was the scariest night of my life,” said Rebecca Yuro, who lives in one of the apartments with her three young girls.
She felt the whole building shake and then the power blew out.
“I thought I was dying in my sleep,” she said. “It sounded like a huge explosion.”
The driver, Rowan Arlan, was removed from the vehicle by a resident and was taken to the AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center's City Campus with unknown injuries.
Yuro’s 3-year-old woke up crying, and couple of minutes later the fire alarms started going off one by one.
There was a family party still going on in the third-floor apartment, she said.
“I started hearing people screaming and running,” Yuro said. “I opened my front door and a stranger grabbed one of my kids.”
Her brother-in-law and uncle who also live in the apartment grabbed the other two girls.
Officers Michael Oldroyd and Fitzroy Simpson evacuated from the building's apartments, along with those in the adjoining apartment building.
“The smoke was terrible,” Yuro said. “You couldn't see or breathe. I almost fell over rubble and bricks on the way down the front stairs.
“We were seconds away from not being able to get out the house,” she continued. “I just thank God my children and everyone got out OK.”
Witnesses said the truck was speeding before leaving the road and crashing.
The truck was reported stolen from Pleasantville at 8 a.m.
About 10 people were safely removed from their apartments and are now being assisted by the American Red Cross.
Arlan, 20, was charged with driving while intoxicated, reckless driving, careless driving, suspended driver, possession of marijuana and receiving stolen property.
He was released on a summons.
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