Family asking for help after plane crash destroys car
SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — Days after a small plane crashed into a Murphy Canyon neighborhood, killing all six people on board, survivors on the ground are facing the emotional and financial toll of the disaster — including residents whose vehicles were destroyed by flaming jet fuel that poured through the streets.
Home security footage from a Ring camera captured the moment burning fuel flowed down a gutter, igniting cars along Taussig Street. One of those vehicles was a Kia Soul owned by Nichole Crone, who lives in the neighborhood with her husband, a U.S. Navy service member, and their three children.
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'We got woken up about 4 a.m. by our son,' Crone said. 'He sleeps with his window open, and he heard the tires on the car popping. That's what woke him up — that's what woke us up.'
Crone requested her face not be shown for privacy reasons but wanted her story told.
Just moments after a Cessna 550 struck power lines and stadium lights before crashing into a home on Sample Street, Crone and her family watched as her parked car was engulfed in flames.
'A lot of people were panicking, telling us to get out, to leave, because they thought the car was going to explode,' she said. 'So we were panicking.'
'Debris everywhere still burning': Family whose house was hit by plane shares what they saw
Crone said her vehicle is typically not parked on that side of the street — except on trash days.
'It was trash day, and normally our car would be right in front of our house,' she said. 'But our trash cans had to go out the night before.'
Adding to their hardship, Crone said her insurance provider, USAA, recently informed her that it would not cover the full cost of the vehicle.
'They want to give us like $15,885, minus our $1,000 deductible, and we still owe like $19,000,' she said.
VIDEO: Fireball erupts as plane crashes in San Diego
The family depends on two vehicles: Crone uses her car for Instacart deliveries to supplement their income and to transport one of her children, who has autism, to several therapy appointments each week. Their other vehicle is used by her husband for commuting to Coronado.
'We're stressed out,' Crone said. 'We just got that second vehicle two months ago. We're already struggling with both car payments, and now we lost a vehicle and still have to make payments on it.'
A friend has started an online fundraiser to help the family recover. Crone said she hopes the insurance company reconsiders the payout, given the circumstances.
'It wasn't only us that this happened to,' she said. 'But for us specifically, it's just hard to understand why insurance wouldn't pay off the car in full. This wasn't our fault.'
Despite the high mileage on the car, Crone said she and her husband are continuing discussions with insurance representatives in hopes of reaching a resolution.
Visit the GoFundMe: Fundraiser for Nichole Crone by Megan Ball: Help the Crone Family replace their car.
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