Residents of an Alpine Lane home awoke early Thursday morning to a loud crash. They found that a car had smashed into the side of their house, hitting utility lines and starting a small fire.

No driver was on the scene when law officers arrived. The Honda Accord had been stolen elsewhere in Evergreen, according to Flathead County Sheriff Chuck Curry.

At around 2: 50 a.m., the car reportedly took out a sign at the corner of Alpine Lane and East Reserve Drive. It then traveled a few lots down and left the road. Tire tracks showed a trail through an empty lot, a chain-link fence and into the house.

At midday Thursday, a clear section of the outer wall was caved in just above the foundation, corresponding to the front bumper of a car. The entire wall was slanted inward and utility lines had been smashed.

Evergreen Fire Capt. Ben Covington said that the collision sparked a small fire but a crew quickly put it out. A gas furnace was leaking a little but utility workers arrived and shut off gas and electric services. No one at the home was injured in the crash.

“Obviously it rocked the house pretty good,” Covington said.

With the help of the Two Bear Air helicopter, the Sheriff’s Office searched the area for suspects during the night. Curry said two people were found hiding nearby, but they haven’t been linked to the car crash. The investigation is ongoing.

Curry said that it’s possible that somebody put a weight on the car’s gas pedal and sent it driverless down the road.

Reporter Matt Hudson can be reached at 758-4459 or by email at mhudson@dailyinterlake.com.