GoFundMe set up for homeowner injured after car hits house on Montgomery Street

CHICOPEE, MA. (WGGB/WSHM) - A GoFundMe has been set up for one Chicopee resident after a car struck his home on Montgomery Street early Saturday morning.

This weekend, a car crashed into a house on Montgomery Street in Chicopee, leading to a fire. On Saturday morning, a passenger in the car died and a resident inside the home was injured after being hit by the car.

Joe Lucia was in the room the car crashed into, he was transported to the hospital with injuries, I spoke with his employer and neighbors who say something needs to change.

“I heard this big loud bump, and it scared me like a tree had fallen down our neighbor’s tree or something, so I flew around looking through the house and I happened to look through my bedroom window and saw a car rammed right into the neighbor’s house,” said one neighbor. “All of a sudden, the car was caught in flames then the house started going up in flames.”

A Crossing Street resident, who wished to remain off camera recalled the situation, after a car crashed into their neighbor’s house on Montgomery Street in Chicopee.

According to the Hampden DA’s office, Chicopee police saw a vehicle speeding on Broadway Street just before 3 a.m. An officer pulled the car over, but they said the driver sped off as the officer approached the vehicle. The officer found the car after it had already crashed into the house that sparked a large fire.

Four people inside the car were from 13 to 19 years old, and one person was pronounced dead on scene. Joe Lucia was inside the house when it happened. He was hit by the car, injured and transported to a local hospital. The DA’s office said everyone else got out safely.

We learned Lucia works at Teddy Bear Pools and Spas in Chicopee, owner and president Ted Hebert said he was shocked by the news.

“I got an early morning phone call from one of my employees that was aware of it and I was speechless I mean horrible tragic,” said Hebert.

This is not the only car crash in recent years on Montgomery Street to grab the community’s attention. In July 2022, a two-car crash killed two people in the area of Montgomery and Grattan Streets.

In 2017, a car crashed into another house on Montgomery Street in Chicopee.

Neighbors told us something needs to be done to make their streets safer.

“They travel way too fast on Montgomery Street it’s been happening up and down the street since I moved here, sometimes they’re in the wrong lane when you’re coming up or down either way, I’ve complained year after year,” said one neighbor. “It’s very frightening I’m very scared sometimes to be on my lawn raking or whatever for fear they might lose control and hit me or my house it’s only a matter of time before someone some child gets hurt here on Cross Street as well.”

Friends of the injured homeowner have established a GoFundMe page to raise money to assist the resident with his hospital costs as he recovers. If you would like to donate to this cause, you may do so here.

Western Mass News will continue to follow the latest updates as soon as they enter our newsroom.

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