ENBRIDGE GAS OHIO

Incident Narrative

AT APPROXIMATELY 01:50 LOCAL TIME, A LARGE SUV DRIVEN BY A MEMBER OF THE GENERAL PUBLIC LEFT THE ROADWAY TRAVELING SOUTH NEAR THE INTERSECTION OF BUCHHOLZER AVE AND INDEPENDENCE AVE IN AKRON, OH. THE VEHICLE TRAVELED APPROXIMATELY 200' THROUGH A PARKING AREA BEFORE STRIKING, IN ORDER; PROTECTIVE BOLLARDS, AN OUTDOOR METER SET, AND FINALLY THE OUTSIDE BUILDING WALL OF ADDRESS 1210 INDEPENDENCE AVENUE IN AKRON, OHIO. THE ADDRESS WAS A REGAL CINEMA MOVIE THEATER, UNOCCUPIED AT THE TIME. THE FORCE OF THE VEHICLE IMPACT FOLDED THE PROTECTIVE BOLLARDS OVER AND SHEARED THE METER/MANIFOLD ASSEMBLY OFF FROM THE 2"" SERVICE RISER AT GROUND LEVEL. JURISDICTIONAL GAS BEGAN TO RELEASE, AND THE VEHICLE CAUGHT FIRE. AKRON POLICE AND FIRE RESPONDED TO THE CRASH AND CONTACTED ENBRIDGE GAS OHIO'S DISPATCH CENTER AT 02:10. ENBRIDGE DISPATCHED A QUALIFIED PERSON TO THE SCENE. AT APPROXIMATELY 02:16, AKRON FIRE DEPARTMENT CALLED ENBRIDGE PERSONNEL TO REPORT THAT NATURAL GAS WAS ALSO ON FIRE. ENBRIDGE DISPATCHED FURTHER PERSONNEL TO ASSIST AT THE SCENE. ENBRIDGE PERSONNEL FIRST ARRIVED AT THE SCENE AT 02:47 TO FIND THE AKRON FIRE DEPARTMENT MONITORING THE FIRE AND WERE ASKED TO SHUT OFF FLOW OF GAS TO THE BUILDING. THE EXTERIOR OF THE BUILDING AROUND THE METER WAS BRICK, AND NOT BELIEVED TO BE LIKELY TO ALLOW THE FIRE TO SPREAD THROUGHOUT THE STRUCTURE. ENBRIDGE PERSONNEL AT THE SCENE WERE UNABLE TO LOCATE A CURB BOX TO ISOLATE THE SERVICE LINE AFTER SEARCHING THE AREA AND REQUESTING EMERGENCY LOCATE SERVICES FROM THE OHIO UTILITY PROTECTION SERVICE. ENBRIDGE PERSONNEL IDENTIFIED THREE MAIN LINE VALVES THAT COULD BE CLOSED TO ISOLATE GAS TO THE BUILDING, WHICH ALSO CAUSE AN OUTAGE OF 182 RESIDENTIAL CUSTOMERS. ENBRIDGE PERSONNEL PROCEEDED WITH CLOSING THESE VALVES AT APPROXIMATELY 05:40. AT 06:00, GAS FLOW TO THE BUILDING HAD STOPPED AND THE FIRE BURNED OUT. ENBRIDGE PROCEEDED WITH TRACING OUT THE SERVICE LINE AND WERE ABLE TO LOCATE A CURB BOX IN A DIFFERENT LOCATION THAT WAS ORIGINALLY SEARCHED. ENBRIDGE CUT THE SERVICE LINE TO THE BUILDING WHILE BEGINNING THE PROCESS OF TURNING OFF IMPACTED CUSTOMERS TO BEGIN THE RELIGHT PROCESS. ENBRIDGE RELIT ALL BUT 35 OF THE IMPACTED CUSTOMERS BY 21:55 ON 7/7/2024 DUE TO NO ACCESS TO THE PREMISE. THE OWNER OF THE VEHICLE WAS NOT PRESENT AT THE SCENE OF THE ACCIDENT, SO THE IDENTITY AND SCOPE OF HIS INJURIES WERE NOT INITIALLY CLEAR. LATER, AKRON POLICE WERE ABLE TO LOCATE THE OWNER AT A LOCAL HOSPITAL. HE HAD BEEN PICKED UP AND TRANSPORTED THERE BY A GOOD SAMARITAN WHO FOUND HIM WALKING ALONG THE ROAD. THE FULL SCOPE OF INJURIES TO THE OWNER IS CURRENTLY UNKNOWN, BUT PER THE AKRON POLICE REPORT HE DID SUSTAIN SOME BURNS. THE OWNER WAS FOUND TO BE UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF ALCOHOL BUT DENIED BEING THE DRIVER OF THE VEHICLE. HE CLAIMED A SECOND INDIVIDUAL WAS DRIVING BUT DID NOT KNOW HIS IDENTITY. THE ACCIDENT IS STILL UNDER INVESTIGATION BY THE AKRON POLICE DEPARTMENT. THE EXACT SEQUENCE OF VEHICLE IMPACT, VEHICLE FIRE, AND GAS IGNITION THAT OCCURRED AFTER THE IMPACT IS CURRENTLY UNKNOWN. GIVEN THE RELEASE AND IGNITION OF JURISDICTIONAL GAS, AND REPORTED BURN INJURIES SUSTAINED BY THE VEHICLE OWNER, ENBRIDGE AT THIS TIME BELIEVES IT IS PROBABLE THAT JURISDICTIONAL GAS CONTRIBUTED TO THE OVERNIGHT HOSPITALIZATION OF THE DRIVER.