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INDIANA NATURAL GAS CORP

gas_distribution Incident — COLUMBUS, IN

Incident Information

Report Date—
OperatorINDIANA NATURAL GAS CORP
Commodity—
Pipeline Typegas_distribution

Location

CityCOLUMBUS
StateIN
CountyBARTHOLOMEW
Coordinates39.20020, -86.06731

Cause

CauseOTHER OUTSIDE FORCE DAMAGE
Subcause—

Casualties

Fatalities1
Injuries0

Costs

Property Damage—
Lost Commodity—
Public/Private Damage—
Emergency Response—
Environmental Remediation—
Other Costs—

Location Map

Incident Narrative

ON SATURDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2014 A DRIVER OF A PASSENGER VEHICLE LOST CONTROL WHILE DRIVING WEST ON A RURAL SECTION OF INDIANA STATE ROAD 46 WEST, WEST OF COLUMBUS, INDIANA. THE VEHICLE WAS OBSERVED TO FISHTAIL ON AN ICE COVERED BRIDGE OVER WOLF CREEK. IT SKIDDED OFF THE NORTH SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY WHILE SPINNING 180-DEGREES AND ROLLING OVER ON ITS SIDE. THE VEHICLE CAME TO REST ON TOP OF AN ABOVE GROUND 1-INCH 190 PSI TO 3/4-INCH 20 PSI SERVICE LINE/REGULATOR ASSEMBLY OWNED BY INDIANA NATURAL GAS CORPORATION. THE FORCE OF THE IMPACT SHEARED THE 1-INCH GAS LINE DOWNSTREAM OF THE SHUTOFF VALVE FOR THE FARM TAP, CAUSING A GAS LEAK. THE GAS DID NOT IGNITE. BARTHOLOMEW COUNTY FIRE DEPARTMENT EMERGENCY RESPONDERS ARRIVED ON SCENE AND FOUND THE SOLE OCCUPANT OF THE VEHICLE UNRESPONSIVE AND WITHOUT A PULSE. THEY WERE UNABLE TO IMMEDIATELY EXTRICATE THE OCCUPANT FROM THE VEHICLE DUE TO HIS SIZE. NOTING A GAS LEAK, THEY RETREATED, DONNED SELF-CONTAINED BREATHING APPARATUS AND TRIED AGAIN UNSUCCESSFULLY TO REMOVE THE OCCUPANT FROM THE VEHICLE. EMERGENCY RESPONDERS NOTIFIED DISPATCH THAT THEY NEEDED THE LOCAL GAS COMPANY TO RESPOND TO THE GAS LEAK. BARTHOLOMEW COUNTY DISPATCH CONTACTED INDIANA NATURAL GAS'S ON-CALL SERVICE PERSON WHO ARRIVED ON THE SCENE FIVE MINUTES LATER (SEE ATTACHED TIME LINE). HE AND ANOTHER RESPONDING INDIANA NATURAL GAS SERVICE PERSON UTILIZED CGI'S TO MONITOR THE ESCAPING GAS, DISCUSSED THE SITUATION OF WITH EMERGENCY RESPONDERS AND THEN EXCAVATED AND SHUT OFF THE SERVICE TEE FOR THE 1-INCH LINE TO STOP GAS FLOW AND MAKE THE SITUATION SAFE. THE OCCUPANT OF THE VEHICLE WAS PRONOUNCED DEAD AT THE SCENE. BARTHOLOMEW COUNTY PERSONNEL THEORIZED THAT THE BLOWING GAS COULD HAVE CAUSED THE DRIVER OF THE VEHICLE TO ASPHYXIATE. INDIANA NATURAL GAS CONTACTED INDIANA PIPELINE SAFETY ON-CALL PERSONNEL AT 10:00 AM TO REPORT THE INCIDENT. INDIANA NATURAL GAS CONTACTED THE NATIONAL RESPONSE CENTER AT 10:15 AM TO REPORT THE INCIDENT. AN INCIDENT NUMBER OF 1103941 WAS ASSIGNED BY THE NRC.

About This Pipeline Incident

Pipeline incident data is reported to the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA). All significant incidents involving fatalities, injuries, or property damage over $50,000 must be reported.

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