Augusta - Residents along Riverside Drive in Augusta were awoken to a loud bang just after 6 am Sunday morning.

And found quite a scene outside their homes.

" The house was just engulfed in flames and the fire department came shortly after I got out here and it took them four to five minutes to get the hoses set up and by the time it was too late for the house."

Augusta Police and Fire responded to the report of a vehicle that had crashed into a home.

As a result of the impact, both the vehicle and residence caught on fire.

" He started the third house up. He missed her car, went between a telephone pole and guide wire went across our lawn missed two trees and missed our car all by inches and missed my wife's car by inches and slammed into the house."

Fire officials say the occupant of the vehicle wasn't inside the vehicle when they arrived on scene and had run off.

The occupants of the residence were able to get out safely.

" We've dealt with cars going off the road and hitting buildings. But never one I can remember that started a house fire of that significance."

Neighbors can't believe the events that unfolded.

" Just shock. No one on this road has ever seen anything like this, so just a lot of craziness."

" Pretty scared. People drive fast and you'd like to think people would have a lot more intelligence then that. Whatever he or she was doing is just not acceptable."

The Augusta Police and the Fire Marshal's Office is continuing the investigation.

A short time in the same vicinity a vehicle was stolen from Raven Road.

The vehicle was later stopped and the driver, 26-year-old Jacob Russell, of Bass Harbor was arrested for operating while his license was suspended and operating a stolen vehicle.

Police say other charges are pending.

Russell will make his initial court appearance via video in Kennebec County Superior court at 1 p.m. on Monday.

Homeowner Ken Ward told a local newspaper that he and his wife Linda lost everything, but he was grateful they escaped uninjured.

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