Every year the Philadelphia Fire Department compiles a comprehensive report of the myriad ways that houses catch fire: electrical wiring, inattentive cooking, careless smoking, children playing with matches.
Fire by automobile is a new one. But that’s what happened to an 85-year-old Bustleton man on Monday after an alleged drunken driver plowed through the side of his twin home after missing a turn. Neither person suffered life-threatening injuries, but the crash left a gaping hole in the front wall and the house covered in soot.
Catherine Ryan, 34, of the 7600 block of Loretto Ave., was driving her 2008 Nissan Altima eastbound on Benton Street at about 12:10 a.m. when she reached a “T” intersection at Bustleton Avenue. Ryan crossed Bustleton, skipped past a traffic light and drove onto the victim’s front lawn. The car ended up in the basement and ignited a fire. Good Samaritans pulled Ryan from the wreckage. She was taken to Aria Health’s Torresdale hospital for examination and arrested there by police, who suspected her of being legally drunk.
The impact jolted the homeowner from his couch. He suffered scrapes and bruises and was taken to Nazareth Hospital. ••
