Person found dead in car after fire engulfs Mount Laurel home

MOUNT LAUREL, N.J. (WPVI) -- A man is dead after neighbors say he crashed a car into a Mount Laurel Township home, sparking a fire on Tuesday evening.

It happened just before 5 p.m. Tuesday along Diston Court.

After backing out of his driveway, neighbors say the man crashed into the side of the garage of the home across the street.

"It looks like it just backed in at a high rate of speed and just blew up, there was a big explosion," recalledIliya Rezvine of Mt. Laurel.

The home that caught fire belongs to Iliya Rezvine. He wasn't there at the time, but his wife and three kids were. They were all able to escape.

Rezvine's home is destroyed, and his two Teslas that were in the driveway were also damaged.

It's not clear what caused the explosion and subsequent fire, but local firefighters and the state fire marshal's office are investigating.

"While resting in the house, I heard a lot of what sounded like electrical pops. My neighbor and I went outside, saw the whole house engulfed in brown smoke, thick black smoke," said Steven Kohler of Mt. Laurel.

Rezvine's 2-year-old dog named Poncho had been missing, but late Tuesday night, firefighters found him inside the home, alive, hiding under a table.

When the fire broke out, neighbors were able to rush over to help free the family's two other dogs from the home.

"I'm very happy that our neighbors came together and helped. It's a good feeling to have people you can rely on," said Rezvine.

The cul-de-sac is coming together amid the loss of a neighbor and the destruction of another neighbor's home.

Police have released limited information on the incident, only saying in a statement, "It was determined that the fire was connected to a fatal motor vehicle incident. An unidentified vehicle was located at the scene with a deceased individual inside."

The man who was found dead has not been identified.