[Girlene]

Yes, they heard “loud popping noises”, looked out the window and saw flames

I hadn't read that. According to this link from January 10, it was called in as a traffic accident. Source: So Far, Lobbyist Car Fire Not Being Looked at by Homicide

.... A source in homicide with the Metropolitan Police Department says the "the call" came in as a "traffic accident," and murder detectives haven't been asked to take the case. We've asked MPD to confirm, but haven't gotten a response yet.

Update: MPD has issued a statement saying the death is being investigated as an accident:

On Monday, January 10, 2011, at approximately, 4:45 a.m., the driver of a 2008 BMW X-5 crashed into the interior of a garage of a residence in the 800 block of A Street S.E. After impact, a fire started and quickly engulfed the entire garage as well as the automobile.

[crosslink]

Here is the news story with eyewitness testomony of the cracking and that the husband was in the house http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid30317508001?bckey=AQ~~,AAAABvaL9Hk~,mLC66bU8hPPEixOfY5Pc8DGh7QP3dFX0&bctid=745088874001

[Gabrial]

See second page of this article for popping sounds reference.

This article also is one of the best in terms of laying out the highy compressed timeline.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/01/10/AR2011011006857_2.html