Kern County, California — June 13, 2012

Police say a residential area was evacuated Wednesday after collision and gas leak in the Bakersfield area.

Officers with the Bakersfield Police Department report that an unidentified motorist was operating a white Ford Explorer sport-utility vehicle along White Lane around 1:25 a.m. Investigators believe the SUV ran over a metallic cover on a hole left by construction workers, between Wible Road and Akers Street.

For unknown reasons, the driver of a gray Hyundai hit the SUV, causing the metal cover to strike three more cars. When the cover fell down the hole, it ruptured a line carrying natural gases.

Utility crews from Pacific Gas and Electric ordered the evacuation of 50 houses along White Lane before they were able to shut off the gas. Officers at the scene say at least one traveler suffered injury during the crash.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in 2008 more than 2.3 million reported intersection-related crashes, resulted in more than 7,770 fatalities and approximately 733,000 injuries.

If you would like an official copy of the police report, request a copy with this form.

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  • Sonia

    who ever wrote this got there facts wrong……it was actually a hole that that construction workers never covered or had cones around it, a first car when over it when the lights turned green, then the ford explorer hit the steel plate due to it being moved from the hole, the impact was so hard it left the driver and passenger seriously injured due to the air bags, it also turned off

  • Sonia

    sorry the  hyundai hit the ford because he did not see the ford sopped after being hit