Tractor-trailer carrying dog food careens into building in Clifton, NJ

CLIFTON, New Jersey (WABC) -- A tractor-trailer truck driver lost control of his vehicle, ramming into a local limo business in Clifton, New Jersey, early Monday morning.

The big rig careened into Limo Ride, a business along Kensington Avenue and Route 3, right before 2:30 a.m.

The crash happened just feet from a roadway ramp where the driver tried to turn off.

"There's no shoulder. So you have to brake and, very quickly. And this is a place where people have accidents," said Sue Armstrong.

The front of the vehicle lodged into the edifice, sending building material and shingles tumbling down, and knocking the garage foundation of its setting.

Traffic is forced to slow down around the area with the exit closed. Neighbors say the sound jolted them out of bed.

"My husband thought we were being bombed. He really did. He thought that a bomb was dropped," said Leticia Feliciano.

"The building was at least 8 or 12 inches out of square. It's leaning, it's very precarious in there. The guy said the roof was collapsed onto the cab and the cab was totally crushed," said Deputy Fire Chief William LeGates

The truck driver was taken to the hospital. He was injured and alert. Legates and Raymond Feliciano ran over to help him.

"We both were going toward the truck. He said, don't go over there, the power lines are down. So that's when he heard the gentleman inside screaming 'help!' He said it twice and then we didn't hear anything after that," said Feliciano.

He was carefully rescued as responders discovered a second victim. There is an apartment above the limo business on the ground floor. A man on the second floor appeared in the widow and police had to pull him out.

The resident was unhurt, but he can't go home.

First responders, as they investigate this crash are still figuring out how this tractor trailer carrying pet food is going to be removed safely... likely not until Tuesday morning.

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