Police: SUV involved in 2 crashes before hitting Wheaton home

An SUV was involved in two separate crashes before rolling over and slamming into a Wheaton home, injuring the driver and a passenger late Tuesday afternoon, according to police.

A resident near the intersection of Farnham Lane and Huntleigh Drive heard the collision as the vehicle hit her neighbor's home at about 5 p.m. and saw one man lying on the grass motionless and another crawl out of the passenger seat.

“There was a huge, stunning sound,” said Dianne Chung, 18, who lives next door to the home that was struck. “My house was shaking, which was kind of scary.”

The SUV came to a rest on its roof after striking a tree and the home about a block east of Naperville Road, said Wheaton Police Deputy Chief Tom Meloni.

Both men were being treated at an area hospital and were expected to survive, police said.

Police are investigating the vehicle's involvement in an accident on the I-355 near Addison earlier in the day and a hit-and-run crash at Route 38 and Blanchard Street about a mile and a half from where the SUV rolled, Meloni said.

The SUV caused some damage to the home and jarred a gas meter, causing a minor natural gas leak, according to authorities. At least one resident was inside when the crash occurred but was not injured, Meloni said.

“The trees were all cut up, and you could smell the gas,” Chung said.

Police had not filed any charges as of Tuesday night, as the men remained hospitalized.

The roadways near the home were closed down for about an hour while police investigated.