Truck driver chokes on chili, crashes into Lowell home

LOWELL, Mass. -- An out-of-control lumber truck smashed through the front of one family’s home in Lowell on Friday morning.

The accident, which occurred around 10:30 a.m., left a gaping hole in the duplex at 498 Lakeview Ave.

“I felt the house, my house, shake. It was a pretty scary situation. I saw the lady that was living there trying to jump out of the window. I walked over to see what was going on. I saw the gentleman all bloodied in his face, the one that drove into the building,” said Angel Cruz, a neighbor.

Truck driver Eric Gremm, 59, of Tyngsborough, Mass., was hospitalized with minor injuries. He apparently told police that he was choking on some chili, proceeded to black out and thus was unable to maintain control of the truck. Police say Gremm could be cited in the connection with the accident, as even eating can be considered a driving distraction.

“We have information from the driver that he was eating something... that he might have started to choke on the food he was eating,” Lt. Tim Crowley of the Lowell Police Department.

Anne Marie Giaquinto, who lives on the lower floor of the duplex, was home on her day off from work. She also was taken to a local hospital for evaluation.

“The occupant who was home luckily was in a different part of the building when this occurred. She’s shaken but OK,” said Dep. Chief Phil Lemire of the Lowell Fire Department.

Both the Lowell Police Department and Massachusetts State Police responded to the scene. Utility companies proceeded to turn off gas and electricity at the home.

Maria Anstiss, the home owner who lives on the second floor with her family, was allowed back inside briefly to gather a few belongings before being asked to leave by city officials, who deemed the building unsafe in light of the accident.

“Thank God we weren’t home. It could have been devastating for my kids,” she said.

The cause of the crash remains under investigation. The vehicle is owned by Sherburne Lumber Company of Tyngsborough, Mass.

Officials were afraid if they moved the truck that the house would collapse and thus wanted to wait for a structural engineer to evaluate the situation after the weekend.

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