THE sibling of ex-NFL player and military hero Pat Tillman has been detained after reportedly crashing a vehicle into a post office.

Both the vehicle and the structure ignited after the terrifying collision.

Images from the incident revealed a charred vehicle and clouds of smoke as firefighters worked to extinguish the blaze.

The horror unfolded at around 3am local time on Sunday in San Jose, California.

Richard Tillman has been taken into custody and is being held without bail, as per the NBC affiliate KNTV-TV.

He told cops that he live-streamed the crash online, according to local reports.

Tillman is due to appear in court on Wednesday.

The crash is being probed as intentional.

“Postal inspectors are investigating the incident as a potentially intentional act,”

Tillman is the brother of former NFL star Pat.

Pat was killed in Afghanistan in 2004 after he walked away from football following the 9/11 terror attacks.

He was killed by friendly fire when serving overseas.

Pat played as a safety for the Arizona Cardinals between 1998 and 2001 before enlisting in the military.

He paused his football career months after marrying wife Marie, who was his high school sweetheart.

Pat signed up for the military after his honeymoon and served in Iraq and Afghanistan before his death.

He enlisted eight months after 3,000 people were killed in the 9/11 terror attacks.

Pat turned down a $3.6 million contract offer when he joined the military.

The unit Pat was traveling in was ambushed in eastern Afghanistan in April 2004.

Pat’s brother, Richard, was among the speakers at his memorial service.

In the immediate aftermath of Pat’s death, it was thought he had been killed in the firing line.

But, a bombshell Pentagon report from 2007 revealed he had been killed by friendly fire.

Investigators found no criminal negligence in his death.

There had been four investigations into Pat’s death.