Maryland

Police pursuit ends in fiery crash into Maryland woman's home: ‘I lost everything'

“The damage is horrible, horrifying. I’m just blessed that I wasn’t home," the owner of the home on Bellbrook Street said

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A Temple Hills, Maryland, woman is trying to salvage what she can after a police pursuit ended with an SUV crashing into her home over the weekend.

Prince George's County police were chasing two suspects in the SUV when it crashed into the house, and both the vehicle and the house caught fire. 

“It literally went through the back gate, ran into the wall by the back of the house and went up in flames,” homeowner Brenda Hill said.

Hill looked at what’s left of her belongings after flames swept through her home on Bellbrook Street in Temple Hills. 

“The damage is horrible, horrifying. I’m just blessed that I wasn’t home. That’s how bad it is. I basically lost everything,” Hill said. 

It was just after 1 a.m. Sunday when D.C. police were following a suspect's vehicle that was headed over the Prince George’s County line. A Prince George’s County officer spotted the SUV in Temple Hills and tried to stop it. 

The SUV turned on a dead end street, and when it couldn’t go any further, the driver just burst through the gate and into Hill’s yard, according to neighbors.

The SUV hit the back of Hill’s house and burst into flames. Cellphone video shows the fire shooting up the back of the house. Tire tracks are still visible on the lawn's grass.

The two suspects ran away from the scene. One of them was apprehended nearby and has been charged with malicious destruction of property and traffic violations arrested. Police are still trying to identify and arrest the second suspect, authorities said.

As for the pursuit itself, Prince George’s County police say there will be a review, which is routine for the department.

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