A man was arrested Sunday after crashing his wife?s sport utility vehicle into an apartment complex and rupturing a gas line before fleeing the scene, police said.
Between 60 and 90 people were evacuated from three buildings in the 1400 block of Hadwick Drive in Essex because a 3-inch gas line was damaged in the crash, Baltimore County Fire Department spokeswoman Elise Armacost said.
“This has been an extremely disruptive incident,” Armacost said.
Paul Long, 39, of 3411 McShane Way in Baltimore, was arrested about a half-mile from the crash scene, where he was changing his tire, said Baltimore County Police Officer Chris Markel, of the Essex precinct.
Long first crashed into the front of a cab that was picking up a resident in front of the building, Markel said. Long then struck the building and another car before fleeing the scene, Markel added.
Police found the bumper of the SUV, with license plates registered to his wife still intact, at the scene, Markel said.
Long faces charges for the hit and run, driving without a license and unauthorized use of a vehicle, Markel said.
The driver did not appear to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol, “just driving recklessly,” he said.
Gas was shut off for 1419, 1423 and 1421 Hadwick Drive, and service is likely to be restored sometime today, once the gas meters are replaced, Baltimore Gas & Electric spokeswoman Linda Foy said.
“We shut off the electricity and the gas to minimize the risk of an explosion,” Armacost said. “The issue here is the gas leak. Natural gas is very flammable.”
The Red Cross was on hand to help the residents find accommodations for the night, Armacost said.
“Unfortunately, some of these people may not be able to get back into their homes for several days,” she said.
