LAWRENCEBURG GAS DEPT, CITY OF

Incident Narrative

ON AUG 7, 2012, AT APPROSIMATELY 18:20, A 2009 NISSAN SENTRA DRIVEN BY WAYNE SPENSE WAS TRAVELING EAST ON HWY 20 IN SUMMERTOWN, TN. THE VEHICLE RAN OFF OF THE LEFT SIDE OF THE ROAD, TRAVELED 500 FT., AND STRUCK A GAS REGULATOR STATION. AT APPROSIMATELY 18:30, TODD PENNINGTON, A WORKER AT SUMMERTOWN UTILITY DISTRICT CALLED SCOTT GARLAND, THE LAWRENCEBURG UTILITY SYSTEM GAS DEPT. ON CALL PERSON. TODD ADVISED THAT A CAR HAD RAN THROUGH A GAS REGULATING STATION AND WAS ON FIRE. SCOTT DID NOT KNOW IF IT WAS A LAWRENCEBURG UTILITY SYSTEM (LUS) OR EAST TENNESSEE (ETNG) STATION. SCOTT NOTIFIED RONNIE DIAL (LUS GAS FOREMAN) AND TIM DOLLAR (LUS WATER ON CALL PERSON) FOR ASSISTANCE.UPON ARRIVAL NEAR THE SCENE LUS PERSONNEL WAS DENIED ACCESS BY EMERGENCY PERSONNEL. IT WAS APPROSIMATELY 19:00 - 19:10 WHEN SCOTT ARRIVED ON THE ACCIDENT SCENE. AT APPROXIMATELY 19:20 SCOTT GARLAND AND RONNIE DIAL BEGIN TURNING OFF HIGH PRESSURE GAS VALVES. AT APPROSIMATELY 19:40 SCOTT AND RONNIE BEGIN TURNING OFF LOW PRESSURE VALVES. THE GAS DISTRIBUTION WAS BACKFEEDING INTO THE STATION AND FEEDING THE FLAMES. BY 19:50 THE GAS WAS OFF AND THE FLAMES EXTINGUISHED. THE GAS LINES WERE CAPPED. GAS VALVES WERE TURNED OFF AT THE CUSTOMERS METERS. BY 06:00 ON AUG 8, 2012 LUS WAS RELIGHTING CUSTOMERS PILOT LIGHTS. MR. SPENSE PERISHED IN THE CRASH. THE GAS REGULATING STATION WAS A COMPLETER LOSS. GAS IS CURRENTLY BEING FER TO SUMMERTOWN BY WAY OF HWY 43. FINAL: ON 01/130031/2013 BUSH CONSTRUCTION CO INSTALLED A TEMPORARY REGULATOR STATION TO HELP WITH LOW PRESSURE IN SUMMERTOWN. ON 02/28/2013 A NEW STATION WAS COMPLETED IT WAS PUT ON LINE AT APPROXIMATELY 13:15.