Volunteer firefighters inspect the damage to a house on Parkwood Drive in Cranberry Township after a Vogel Disposal garbage truck rolled backward and struck the home Monday morning, causing extensive damage. No injuries were reported.

CRANBERRY TWP — A Vogel Disposal garbage truck on Monday morning rolled backward into a house on Parkwood Drive, causing extensive damage.

The homeowners were there about 9:30 a.m. when the large truck smashed into the northwest corner of the house. A neighbor said the homeowners thought the noise was gunfire.

Sgt. Chuck Mascellino of the Cranberry Township Police said the driver got out of his truck on Carriage Drive to adjust a refuse receptacle for automatic pickup by the truck, but forgot to set the parking brake.

The truck rolled back down Carriage Drive, crossed Parkwood Drive, and went between a tree and power transformers before it hit the house.

“It caused significant damage,” Mascellino said Monday. “We don’t have an estimate yet.”

He said the floor and wall in the dining room/living room combination hit by the truck was damaged. He said it is not yet clear whether there is damage to the second floor.

While Mascellino said the two residents were not injured, the driver was lucky not to be hurt when he chased the truck down Carriage Drive in an attempt to jump into the cab and hit the brake.

“He’s lucky he didn’t get run over by the truck,” Mascellino said.

He also said it is fortunate that no one else was hurt.

“With the kids being out of school, someone could have been injured,” Mascellino said.

Department of Transportation inspectors from the state police plan to inspect the truck, which was removed from the scene a few hours after the crash, Mascellino said.

Township police also are investigating.

“We haven’t decided yet whether any charges will be filed,” he said.