Lancaster crash causes gas leak

LANCASTER – A pickup truck crashed into a commercial building in Lancaster Thursday, rupturing a natural gas line, authorities said.

The crash was reported around 11:30 a.m. at the Primo Burgers in the 44200 block of Division Street in Lancaster.

A two-vehicle collision between the pickup truck and a white sedan sent the pickup truck careening into the two-story building, according to Deputy Gilberto Borruel of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.

“Both vehicles were traveling northbound,” Borruel said, citing the preliminary investigation. “It looks like one vehicle may have veered into another vehicle’s lane, causing the other vehicle to spin out of control, eventually into the building across the street.”

A driver and passenger in the white sedan were transported by ambulance to the hospital with minor injuries, Borruel said.

The female driver of the pickup truck that crashed into the building also sustained minor injuries, and was transported to the hospital by a private party, Borruel said.

The natural gas ignited, but firefighters monitored the flame until about 1:55 p.m., when the flow of gas was shut off and the fire was contained, said county Fire Inspector Randall Wright.

Nearly three dozen firefighters responded to the incident, according to Assistant Fire Chief Gerald Cosey.

“We had a minor burn injury to one of our firefighters,” Cosey said. “[He] was taken over to Antelope Valley Hospital where he’s being evaluated.”

Patrons and employees inside Primo Burgers were evacuated immediately following the crash, and no injuries were report from the restaurant, officials said.

[City News Service contributed to this report.]

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