Fire After Gas Line Ruptured in Orange County Crash
A single-car crash that happened during the early hours of Thursday, December 12, resulted in a staggeringly large fire that lasted for several hours. Troopers from the Florida Highway Patrol issued the initial statement regarding the incident, telling reporters that the car involved, a 2018 Toyota, was being driven by a 34-year-old Windermere resident. This individual was driving their car down either Ficquette Road or Overstreet Road when they approached the place where both of these roads intersect.
It is not clear exactly what happened inside of the cab at this time, but the reports indicate that the driver lost control of their vehicle as they neared the intersection. Again, it is believed that only the one vehicle was involved, leaving us to speculate on what exactly prompted the crash. Being early in the morning, it is possible that the driver became drowsy behind the wheel. It is also possible that the driver became distracted by their phone or something along the side of the road. Another consideration would be the condition of the road at the area where the crash occurred, or if there was perhaps an animal inside of the roadway that the driver subsequently swerved to avoid.
Regardless of the precise reasons for the crash, we know that after the driver lost control of their Toyota, they were not able to regain it. The car swerved off the road and collided with a power pole located nearby. During this collision, the car also managed to rupture a gas line, although it is not clear whether or not this gas line was exposed on the road’s surface or if it was shallowly buried underground.
It is not clear just how the fire started, but the reports make it clear that it was due to the damaged gas line that the fire became as large and unruly as it did. Gas through the line was shut off for several hours after the incident, a circumstance that affected an unknown number of individuals in the area.
According to the preliminary reports, the driver of the Toyota was not injured in the incident.
Sources:
James O. Cunningham
Since 1977, personal injury lawyer James Cunningham has provided effective legal advocacy to people who are injured through the negligent actions of another person or entity throughout the Central Florida area. He fights to obtain recoveries for his clients’ physical and emotional pain and suffering and pursues his clients’ personal injury cases with a commitment to excellence and impeccable preparation.
