Waterloo, IA : One person died after a crash into a tree on the front lawn of 510 Newell St., early Friday, October 14, 2016

Authorities haven’t been able to confirm the identity of a driver who died when his car crashed into a tree and caught fire early Friday.

Investigators believe they know who the driver is, but the fire and damage mean that an immediate identification wasn’t possible, said Capt. David Mohlis with the Waterloo Police Department. He said an autopsy scheduled for today (Friday) will likely lead to an official identification.

Neighbors in the 500 block of Newell Street said they heard a low noise shortly after midnight Friday.

“It shook our whole foundation,” said Jarvis Green, who called 911. “We looked outside, and across the street we saw a car slammed into that tree and it started smoking, and I saw flames start to rise out the vehicle.”

The car had struck a tree in front of 510 Newell St., and crews with Waterloo Fire Rescue arrived and extinguished the vehicle before the flames could spread to the home.

It appeared the vehicle was heading east on Newell Street when it left the roadway and struck the tree. Waterloo police are investigating the crash.

No other vehicles were involved in the collision, and no other people were in the car at the time of the accident, but there were reports that a passing vehicle had stopped at the scene immediately after the crash and then left, Mohlis said.

He said officers are looking into the driver’s whereabouts before the crash and exploring the possibility that he had been heading to work at the time.

Speed appears to be a factor in the accident, Mohlis said.

Source :
UPDATE: One dead in crash, fire