(USNewsBreak.com) – An unnamed Madison County, New York, teenager reportedly stole an SUV and then crashed it into a private home. If that’s not bad enough, they hit a gas line, and the National Grid took too long to shut off the feed. The house exploded in a massive fireball, shaking the block and damaging the surrounding homes.
The Oneida City Police Department issued a press release on Facebook on Thursday, September 21, stating officers arrested a 17-year-old suspect on several counts. The individual faces at least 30 charges, which include multiple counts of criminal mischief, grand larceny, and reckless endangerment for their alleged crimes. They also received charges for driving while intoxicated and unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, as well as traffic tickets for driving without a license and failing to keep right while on the roadways.
Upstate NY teen charged for crashing stolen SUV into home, causing massive gas explosion https://t.co/T8pllHqFdC pic.twitter.com/Ni85E2OSSa
— New York Post (@nypost) September 27, 2023
The incident occurred on Saturday, September 9, around 3 a.m., when the teen drove the stolen SUV straight into a house. Responders evacuated the residence, as well as the five homes that immediately surrounded it, when they realized the collision had severed a natural gas line. Local Syr reports that a worker from the National Grid, which is responsible for the natural gas service, went to shut off the line, but she couldn’t locate the switch. She finally attempted to bring in a separate crew, but they were in a different city over 20 miles away. Nearly three hours after the collision, at 5:55 a.m., the severed gas line exploded. Police body cam footage recorded the powerful blast, which was strong enough to knock over first responders down the block. Others reportedly ducked for cover while debris fell from the sky.
The home at the center of the explosion was reduced to rubble, while the five surrounding houses are now condemned until further notice. Experts will assess whether any of them are salvageable. No one was injured in the crash, or the explosion, and the Red Cross is assisting the families who are now displaced due to the incident.
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