MILTON, Pa. — "Gentleman's been there 40 plus years in his house, and he's lost everything, so we wanna—we wanna be a beacon of light in this community and love people right where they're at, no restrictions, no strings, just love people," said Pastor Tony Cruz, Freedom Life Church.
A message of unity from Pastor Tony Cruz of Freedom Life Church near Milton after a home in West Chillisquaque Township was left badly damaged when a car plowed into the property just before 7 p.m. on Wednesday.
According to state police, 49-year-old Cornelius McMullen of Lewisburg was heading south along Route 405 when he lost control and crossed the northbound lane.
McMullen was killed after crashing into the basement of a home.
Troopers say a child was also in the car and was taken to the hospital with minor injuries.
After the initial impact, the car caught on fire, quickly spreading to the home. The homeowner wasn't hurt, but he lost everything in the fire. That's why members of the Freedom Life Church are stepping in to help, collecting food, clothing, and other necessities to help the homeowner get back on his feet.
"Get some water to him and a gift card. The church's already put that out. We wanna get that to him—we'll be getting that to him here, but that's our desire, just in a real practical way, try to get some of those necessities to someone—when you lose everything, it's very difficult to process," said Pastor Cruz.
Pastor Tony Cruz says his heart not only goes out to the homeowner but also to the family of the man who lost his life in the wreck.
"Hopefully, somehow, we learn that all things work together for the good, you know, and we hope that somehow something good will come from this," said Pastor Cruz.
Anyone wanting to drop off donations can do so at the Freedom Life Church in West Chillisquaque Township. State police have yet to say what caused the deadly crash.