A neighbor called 911 to report the car and a smell of natural gas. Due to the nature of the call, the Kent Regional Fire Authority Hazardous Materials unit was dispatched to the incident as well as two fire engines.
The HazMat team entered the house to ensure there were no victims but was unable to shut down the source of the natural gas. As a precaution, all the homes in the cul-de-sac were evacuated. The utility company was requested and eventually able to shut down the gas leak. Roughly an hour after the initial 911 call, all the residents were allowed to go back to their homes.
The car caused no structural damage to the house however a natural gas line was less fortunate. The driver of the car was nowhere to be found when the first fire unit arrived. There were no injuries to report.
Natural gas is a lighter-than-air gas that is colorless and odorless in its pure form. Mercaptan is added to the gas to give it the distinctive “rotten egg” odor. Natural gas, which is a fossil fuel, is primarily methane with 10-30 percent of its composition made up of other gasses, including propane.
