There are over 11 million road vehicles in the world that run on natural gas including cars, buses, taxis, and trucks; but when these vehicles crash into larger gas lines and gas structures, the damage can be massive.
According to KOMO News, a Seattle Uber driver lost control of a large SUV and hit a gas pump in North Seattle.
In the surveillance video, the after the SUV connected with the gas pump the entire vehicle was engulfed in flames. Uber confirmed that the driver was currently employed by the company and was carrying a passenger at the time of the gas tank crash.
Witnesses riding a bus said that a car was speeding past them and accidentally hit the Uber driver, causing the SUV to lose control, possibly blow a tire, and crash directly into the gas station after avoiding two other gas pumps.
“Our hearts and thoughts go out to all those involved in this terrible accident, and the driver has been removed from the app,” said Tracey Breeden, Uber spokesperson.
These gas tank and gas line collisions can result in serious damage and should be avoided, by everyone on the road, at all costs. There are various contributing factors that lead to these potentially fatal explosions, but distracted drivers are often the case. Wholly one-fourth of all vehicle accidents are due to drivers being distracted by their cell phones.
Impaired driving is also a major concern in many of these gas disasters, and can lead to severe problems as well.
The Herald Bulletin reports that alcohol played a major role in the Indiana crash that ended up rupturing a gas line, causing dozens of residents to evacuate.
Madison County Sheriff Commander David Callahan states that Cody Vaughn was driving a 1993 Buick Regal at 9p.m. on April 6. Vaughn, with his wife and two children ages 2 and 4 in the car, struck a utility pole, steel barrier pole, and a Vectran Gasline station, causing a gas line fire.
As a result of the explosion and subsequent fire, emergency crews evacuated homes in the area surrounding the gas-line fire, which burned until early the next morning.
Over 1,000 Indiana Michigan Power customers lost service after the explosion and crews are in the process of rebuilding the pipeline.
Drivers should obviously drive as safe as possible while on the roads, but should contact emergency responders as soon as possible in the event of a gas line emergency.
