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Car hits house, severs gas line on Maitland Street in London, Ont.

Fire crews say a vehicle struck a house at 122 Maitland Street Friday May 21, 2021. Sawyer Bogdan / Global News
London fire crews are in the area of Maitland and Hill streets after a vehicle struck a house and an air conditioning unit, severing a gas line.
 
The London Fire Department said Friday morning that residents of at least 15 homes were evacuated and power was cut to the area.  
 
The gas lines in the area have now been turned off as of 1 p.m. and power has been restored.
 
Map by London Hydro showing a wide power outage in downtown London.
Map by London Hydro showing a wide power outage in downtown London. London Hydro

 
District fire Chief Steven Baker said they worked with Enbridge Gas to get the four gas valves in the area shut off to isolate the house.
 
Baker said power had been cut off in the area as a precaution to avoid any ignition sources with the gas.
 
A vehicle struck a house at 122 Maitland Street the morning of Friday May 21, 2021. Sawyer Bogdan/Global News

 
Fire crews say a vehicle struck a house at 122 Maitland St.
 
Investigators are still looking into the cause of the crash.
 
Looking at the scene, Baker compared it to the events leading up to the Old East Village explosion on Woodman Avenue almost two years ago. 
 
“It was this platoon and a lot of these members of the crew that responded to Woodman Avenue and it’s very similar in all circumstances with a vehicle striking the gas meter. That’s why we are planning for the worse and hoping for the best.”
 


Police say the driver of the vehicle has been taken to hospital with minor injuries.
 
“I got a call from my sister telling me a car came into the house and I came to the home to assess the damage,” said Tony D’Ariano, whose mother’s home is the one the car hit. 
 
D’Ariano said his mother, who was taken to the hospital as a precaution, lived in the home with his sister. 
 


 
“We were sitting having our coffee watching TV and heard a big thump. I did not give it much thought because of the construction across the street and a minute and a half later, you hear all these sirens coming down the street,” said Peter Hegy, who lives two doors down from the crash. 
 
Hegy said his wife looked out the window and saw the car “parked rather precariously against the house.”
 
He and several of his neighbours were outside a block away from the crash waiting to be allowed back into their homes. 
 
“We just heard a loud bang it was not enough to have us look outside. When I heard the police cars driving around and stopping close I had a listen to the fire department scanner online,” said Simon Larochette.
 
Larochette lives on Hill Street three houses down from the crash and said he was still in bed when the crash happened. 
 
After he realized what happened he said he figured they would have to be evacuated so he grabbed his dog and computer and left when firefighters came to the door. 
 
“What are the odds it happens so much and it happened not far from where as well on Grey Street.”

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