SUV crashes into Aurora homes as gas leak forces evacuations
A vehicle crash in an Aurora neighborhood around 9:45 p.m. on Sunday night damaged two homes and ruptured a gas line, forcing evacuations. The crash happened near the intersection of East 7th Avenue and Vaughn Street.
According to Aurora Fire Rescue, an SUV traveling eastbound on 7th Avenue veered off the road, hit a parked vehicle and crashed into a house. It caused significant damage to two homes, including the rupture of a gas meter. That rupture led to a gas leak, which forced the evacuation of multiple nearby houses.
Alexis Alvarez was inside when the car drove through the front corner of his parent's home.
"We were just hanging out, kind of watching a movie, and then we heard this huge bang," Alvarez recalled. "We ran outside and saw the cars lodged into the neighbor's house, knocking out the corner of our house."
The SUV driver fled the scene before police arrived. Alvarez says the vehicle appeared to be a GMC Yukon. Residents heard a hissing sound and noticed a strong smell of gas.
"By the time I came out, the neighbors were already out, and a lot of other people had rushed to see what happened," he said. "People thought it was going to blow and ran off."
Aurora Fire Rescue says there was no shutoff valve, so the gas was venting inside the home. AFR's technical rescue teams stabilized the buildings to prevent any further collapse, and hazmat teams worked with Xcel Energy to secure the gas line.
Gas leaks can be very dangerous. An electric spark can cause an explosion and, in high concentration, gases reduce the amount of oxygen available to breathe which can cause drowsiness, headaches, shortness of breath and vomiting.
"We evacuated approximately three city blocks downwind, and one city block upwind to prevent any further risks," Shannon Hardi with AFR explained. "We used specialized detectors to ensure the gas levels were safe, and we worked with Xcel Energy to clamp the line and secure the area."
Alvarez says it's not uncommon to see dangerous driving on that stretch of the street.
"This isn't the first time something like this has happened here," he said. "Maybe it's time the city takes action. People speed down this street, and it's a problem." He added that the area has seen several incidents involving reckless driving.
The Alvarez family is grateful no one was hurt.
"The car hit the truck, which pushed it into the house. If the truck hadn't been there, it could have been much worse," he said.
The American Red Cross was activated to assist the displaced family and others affected by the evacuation and now the Aurora Police Department is investigating the crash.
