Speeding stolen truck crashes into duplex

A family awoken by a stolen truck smashing into their northeast Calgary home and rupturing a gas line thought an airliner had crashed into them.

Calgary police noticed a Ford F350 truck near the intersection of 20th Avenue and Fourth Street N.E. at about 3 a.m. on Monday. By the time their computer data revealed the truck was stolen, the vehicle sped off.

The truck ended up plowing into a duplex in the 500 block of 21st Avenue N.E., and landed on the driver's side.

"The police weren't pursuing him at the time. He just made the conscious decision to put his foot into it and take off on them. So we have no idea as to the speed he was going at the time of impact," said Sgt. Lee Brandon.

'I thought I had lost my family, I truly did.' —Calvin Hickerson

Kelvin Hickerson was sleeping in a bedroom in the basement at the time because he was sick. His wife and three-year-old daughter were upstairs.

"Almost simultaneously was a roaring, and then just a thunderous crash directly over my head…. I thought an airplane had crashed into the house. I went running upstairs, shouting for my wife and daughter," he told CBC News.

"I thought I had lost my family, I truly did."

One man was arrested running from the scene, while another man is being sought by police.

No one was hurt.

"These guys steal these vehicles. They have no concept or no concern for anybody but themselves and getting away from police. It's absolutely amazing that these guys don't hurt more people," said Brandon.

"This is a huge truck and the weight on those things is immense. They're hard to control at the best of times. When you put someone behind the wheel who has no concept of how to drive these things, it's just a weapon."

The truck hit the rear of the duplex's main floor and left a large path of debris in front of it. Firefighters had to shore up the building to prevent further collapse.