Officials: Woman killed when apparent gas main rupture overturns car in Pocono Township
POCONO TOWNSHIP - The apparent rupture of a gas main and a forceful release of natural gas overturned a car on a rural eastern Pennsylvania road early Christmas morning, killing a New York woman and injuring a passenger, authorities said.
According to police, 33-year-old Ana Abreu died after being pulled from an overturned Ford Explorer on Lower Swiftwater Road around 1:30 a.m. Officers also pulled 33-year-old Luis Mercado and a 2-year-old girl from the car, they were uninjured.
A 49-year-old passenger, identified by police as Jobanni Peralta, was able to pull himself from the wreckage.
"There was no fireball. There were no flames," Chief Kent Werkheiser of the Pocono Township police department said. "The car was on the roadway and it caused the car to turn over on its roof, causing the injuries." A township police official said a hole about eight feet wide was left in the roadway.
Emergency crews report that the crash caused significant damage to the road and propane gas pipe underneath the asphalt. Utility crews were quickly able to shut off the gas line and fix the damage.
Authorities have not said what caused the car to crash and flip over. No other vehicles or injuries were reported.
The Associated Press contributed to this report
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