The fire damaged the Bellewood Baptist Church and knocked out power to about 1,500 National Grid customers in the area.
Workers boarded up the hole caused by a runaway car that hit the Bellewood Baptist Church in North Syracuse.North Syracuse, NY -- Onondaga County sheriff’s deputies have charged a Syracuse man with multiple traffic violations after the vehicle he was driving slammed into a North Syracuse church early this morning.
The vehicle caught fire, setting the Bellwood Baptist Church building ablaze causing extensive damage.
Deputies identified the driver as Florindo A. Pascarella, 24, of Matty Avenue. He was issued tickets for driving with a suspended license, driving with a suspended registration, no insurance and leaving the scene of an accident.
Sheriff’s Deputy Kathleen Kruger said emergency dispatchers received a called at 4:52 a.m. about a vehicle that had been traveling north on Hamilton Road. The vehicle left the road, knocked over a newspaper delivery box and struck the church.
A passerby pulled Pascarella from the vehicle as it caught on fire. Pascarella then fled the scene in a second vehicle, Kruger said, but was located in a nearby residence.
About 1,500 National Grid customers lost power because of the accident, and repair crews were at the scene to restore service.
Reach John Stith at jstith@syracuse.com or at 251-5718.