8-13-20 135 W. Cranberry Ave, West Hazleton, PA Car vs Gas Meter

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West Hazleton Fire Department was toned out to a car vs Gas meter and building this afternoon that led to a few minutes of concern. The vehicle driven by a female driver came around the corner and swerved to avoid another car jumped the curb and hit and sheared off a gas meter and did minor damage to the building.

West Hazleton Fire Department Engine 183-2 was the first on the scene and had to deal with spectators in and around the the area by the gar and the sheared off gas meter along with people still in the surrounding building. Everyone was evacuated without incident and the Gas company was able to shut the gas off without any fire or explosions.

Gas company employees survey the damage to the gas meter and lines after the gas was shut off and the vehicle was removed. You can see the gas meters sitting sheared off past the employees.

[nozzleman]

Gas company employee inspects the damage that the Honda did to the gas meter and the lines after getting the gas shut off.

[nozzleman]

West Hazleton Firefighters standby with a blitz nozzle, hidden by the camper. Sorry this is the only one I was able to get due to the gas flow.

As I was on the scene as photographer for the local newspaper I spoke with the West Hazleton Fire Chief and he said the first thing that came to his mind was the gas explosion in Baltimore when they arrived on the scene and residents were in the area of the vehicle and leaking gas lines and they deployed the blitz nozzles in case they needed to dissipate the natural gas.