ASHLAND, N.Y. (NEWS10) — A dump truck hauling asphalt crashed into two homes in Greene County Wednesday afternoon. The buildings were empty, but officials confirmed they believe one person died in the crash.

The sequence of events is not yet clear, but one of the houses is reduced to rubble, and the other is heavily damaged. The fiery impact on State Route 23 was severe enough that the crash was reported as an explosion around 2 p.m.

“It appears that the truck was on the brakes, heavily coming down that steep hill, and either the brakes failed or it wasn’t enough to slow down,” Greene County Sheriff Pete Kusminsky said. “It was a fully loaded asphalt truck, so we’re still waiting on the numbers.”

Excavation is ongoing to reach the dump truck within the rubble.