T-L Photo/ROBERT A. DEFRANK First responders assess the damage after a garbage truck crashed into a house Friday afternoon. The incident is under investigation to determine if a mechanical error or an operator error caused the truck to start rolling when the driver was loading garbage into the back.

ST. CLAIRSVILLE — First responders were called to the scene Friday afternoon when a garbage truck crashed into a home on Shephard Drive.

Homeowner William Littell was present when the incident occurred.

“No one got hurt,” he said.

Littell assessed the damage as first responders checked the area and prepared to tow the garbage truck away.

“I was inside my garage right over here. I looked out and I just seen the truck just coming down through, and it didn’t turn and it just went straight in the house. Then the guy, the garbageman, he was running down the hill after it.”

Littell pointed out the damage.

“It hit the house, took out the whole front porch, pushed in the wall right there. The living room and there’s a bedroom up top,” he said. “The truck was actually two inches from touching the actual front of the house.”

Littell said the concrete stoop in front of his house stopped the truck.

“I just retired from the Army. I did 21 years of active duty service. We just bought this house 2.5 years ago,” he said.

Richmond Police Officer Chad Kulpa said the truck rolled out of control for about 300 feet down Shephard Drive.

“It could have been a lot worse. Thankfully nobody was hurt or injured,” he said.

“When we got the call, it was reported as a garbage truck that went into a house. When we arrived, the driver advised us that he was behind the truck putting some trash in, and then the truck must have came out of gear or slipped gear and started rolling down the road, and he took off and tried to catch up to the truck.”

Kulpa said the matter was under investigation to determine if it was an operator error or a mechanical malfunction. No charges have been filed at this time.

The Cumberland Trail Fire District advised Littell not to stay in the house until it could be looked at.