Wilmington crash brings down power lines, causes gas leak

Wild crash knocks out power, gas to Wilmington homes

A crash in Wilmington, Delaware, sent an SUV tumbling down the road, knocking out power and gas lines, and damaging several homes.

WILMINGTON, Del. - A major crash at a Wilmington intersection caused chaos on Thursday, bringing down multiple power lines and shearing several gas lines.

Wilmington crash

What we know:

The crash happened around 12:30 p.m. on Thursday, at the intersection of East 23rd and North Market streets, according to Wilmington Police.

When first responders got there, they found multiple cars severely damaged, with one that had flipped over. 

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Wilmington Police say when they responded to the call along with firefighters, they found that an SUV had hit a car and caused it to flip several times onto East 23rd Street. Police say the SUV damaged two utility poles and brought down several power lines before hitting and damaging three row homes on the block. Investigators say gas meters for the homes were also damaged and caused a natural gas leak.

Police say the driver of the SUV managed to get out of the vehicle and left the scene.

The person in the car was taken to the hospital.

What they're saying:

"I was sleep when all of this happened and the sound was what woke me up," said Lulu Clark. She lives mid-block and said she heard the impact. She said her friend, who lives near the corner, was outside when the car came crashing into several homes, including hers.

"She was on the porch when it actually happened, so it was by the grace of God that she didn't get hurt or nothing like that," said Clark. Her friend’s house was damaged. Clark says it is unlivable.

"We just don't have no power so it's hot," said Clark, who is one of the residents still in the dark late this evening.

"We had our air on and now it's off so it's about to start getting hot and we have food and all that," she said. "I am just glad nobody got hurt. That is all. Even the person in the wrong," said Clark.

What we don't know:

The cause of the crash is under investigation. 

As of Thursday night, Delmarva Power is working to restore powre to all the homes.