By Steve Klamkin WPRO News
The apartment building in Fall River that burned in a spectacular New Year’s Day crash that left one woman dead and another hospitalized has been ordered demolished by the fire chief as unsafe.
Also on Wednesday, the second woman in the car that crashed into the building causing the massive, destructive blaze died at Rhode Island Hospital, according to the Bristol County District Attorney’s office, which identified her as Linda Leahey, 75, of Fall River.
Some 80 families were displaced by the blaze, that continued to burn more than 24 hours after the crash at 9:40 Tuesday morning, fueled when the car hit a gas line, touching off a roaring blaze, said Fall River Fire Chief John Lynch.
“This building’s been compromised so severely that it’s in danger of major collapse,” said Lynch, as he oversaw the start of demolition efforts.
“It’s a public safety issue. We don’t want anything to happen, especially to my firefighters.” He said resident could not be allowed back inside to retrieve person items.
“My granddaughter Zoe there, she just wants to go back in her home, in her bed and get her toys. That’s what bothers me,” said Debra DeGroot. She said she was on vacation in Virginia Beach, Virginia when her daughter Rachel called to say that she and her four children were displaced by the fire.
Seven firefighters were transported to hospitals at the height of the blaze, and Lynch said all but one were being released, the seventh was being held for further observation for injuries that he would not characterize.
Seven pets were rescued by firefighters, but an unknown number of others did not make it out of the building.
The Fall River Firefighters’ Wives group started a “Go Fund Me” fundraising effort, which set a $50,000 goal to help people displaced who “have lost everything they own”.
Police and the Bristol County District Attorney’s office said foul play was not suspected in the Tuesday morning crash which killed the driver, Judith Mauretti, 72 of Fall River, and left her passenger, a 75-year old woman in critical condition at Rhode Island hospital.
As demolition of the building began on Wednesday morning, crews pulled her 2008 Pontiac Grand Prix out of the building.
