VIOLA, Ill. — Update July 25:
Mercer County Coroner Greg Larson has released the names of the victims involved in the Viola car accident on Saturday.
The driver was identified as 22-year-old male Christian Cortez-Rogel, of Monmouth. The passenger in the vehicle was Margarita Meza, a 21-year-old female, also of Monmouth.
Updated original story:
A car crashed into a home in Viola just before 4 a.m. July 22, according to the Mercer County Sheriff's Department.
The car left U.S. Route 67 just south of the intersection at Highway 17, crashing into the home at 2002 13th Street and starting a fire. Mercer County Sheriff's Deputies responded and pronounced the vehicle's driver and passenger dead on the scene.
News 8 spoke with a neighbor off camera, who said the car drove through multiple front lawns, including his, before it bounced off a tree, eventually hitting the home and engulfing it in flames.
Another neighbor who didn't want to be on camera said the flames were so large, she couldn't even tell a car sat in the front lawn.
According to Mercer County coroner Greg Larson, autopsies were performed today, but they are waiting for dental record confirmation, which they hope to receive Tuesday, before releasing the names of the victims.
According to a friend, the homeowner, who was uninjured, is currently staying with her adopted son. The investigation into the crash is ongoing.
This is a breaking news story. News 8 will update this news story as more information is made available. Download our app and subscribe to our YouTube channel for updates.