Road reopens after vehicle strikes gas line regulator

UPDATE @ 11:40 a.m.: Firefighters said they had to evacuate about six homes this morning for the gas leak. Residents have been allowed back inside, but their gas service has not been restored yet.

People living in the area said they were told Vectren is working on repairs and their service should be back on this evening.

UPDATE @6:38 a.m.:

Brandt Pike has reopened in Riverside following a gas leak.

The gas was turned off around 5:20 a.m.

FIRST REPORT

A driver fleeing from an attempted traffic stop hit a patch of snow and crashed into a gas regulator, leading to a gas leak that caused several homes to be evacuated.

Brandt Pike remains closed as of 5 a.m. between Schwinn Drive and Wald Avenue due to the gas leak. Several homes have been evacuated.

The incident started around 2:40 a.m. when an Ohio State Highway Patrol trooper attempted to pull over the vehicle for a headline violation. The driver fled, and the trooper didn’t pursue the vehicle due to poor road conditions, officials said.

The trooper put out a description of the vehicle to area jurisdictions, and a few minutes later, a Riverside police officer saw the car on Brandt Pike and also attempted a traffic stop. The driver fled a second time, hit a patch of snow or ice, went off the roadway and struck the gas line regulator, officials said.

The driver fled the scene, and the vehicle did not have any plates.

Vectren is on scene working to repair the leak.