On Christmas Eve, a driver in Northeast Portland struck the front of a house in the Sullivan Gulch neighborhood after failing to negotiate a turn.
A gas meter was severed in the collision, which resulted in a gas-fueled fire in the house’s front.
When firefighters arrived, the front of the house was on fire, but the driver of the car was not there. According to Portland Fire & Rescue spokesperson Rick Graves, one person and a cat were safely evacuated, and no injuries were recorded.
The collision happened at approximately 11:15 p.m. The two-and-a-half-story house in the 1500 block of Northeast 24th Avenue was struck by the SUV’s driver, who was traveling east on Northeast Weidler Street when he failed to negotiate a northbound turn, according to Graves.
One individual was present when the crash occurred and managed to escape unharmed; the house had been transformed into a four-plex. An orange tabby cat was saved by firefighters, according to Graves.
Graves said the vehicle came to rest on top of the burst gas line.
Firefighters utilized a big rescue vehicle to pull the SUV away from the house because, according to Northwest Natural, there were no street valves that could be blocked to stop the gas flow to the house. According to Graves, firefighters pinched the gas pipe and stopped the flow of gas fueling the fire after being trained by NW Natural staff on the scene.
Following the collision, the driver reportedly fled the scene.
Portland police did not disclose any additional information, and the Fire Bureau was unaware of the driver’s condition.
While walking his dog, a neighbor reported seeing a man who was chatting on a cell phone wobble away from the car and headed south.
— Maxine Bernstein writes about criminal justice and federal courts. You can contact her via [email protected], 503-221-8212, X@maxoregonian, or LinkedIn.
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