Abrut halt - the Lull telehandler at its resting place

A contractor's lumber-loaded Lull all-terrain telehandler rolled from a backyard into a neighbour's house in Chatham Borough.

"As of now, it appears that the machine was improperly secured on a hill with a hydraulic brake," reports Kevin O'Shea, executive administrative assistant with the borough's police department.

The distance of the roll was about 200 ft (60 m).

An employee of Pepper Building & Remodeling Inc of Hellertown, Pennsylvania parked the forklift at the close of business on 28 July.

About seven hours later, the forklift made its move, blasting through a fence and rolling unimpeded until it crashed into the family room of another high-value home, startling the residents who were at home with their two children. No-one was injured.

The smell of natural gas prompted the Chatham Borough Fire Department to respond.

Police continue to investigate the cause. An earlier report suggested the machine overcame a wooden wheel chock before taking flight.