Crews work on severed gas line overnight after car's fiery crash into Bloomingdale Chase bank
Car expected to be removed from crash site on Saturday
BLOOMINGDALE, Ill. (WLS) -- Crews worked into Saturday morning after a car crash severed a gas line and started a large fire at a bank in northwest suburban Bloomingdale Friday evening.
The fire broke out shortly after 5:30 p.m.
Bloomingdale Director of Public Safety Frank Giammarese said a car using the drive-through services appeared to inadvertently hit the gas pedal instead of the brake, and crashed into the Chase Bank at 136 East Lake Road.
"She had used the drive through. Sounds like she was starting to exit. For some reason the brakes didn't work or she inadvertently hit the wrong pedal," Giammarese said.
The crash caused a small car fire and severed a gas line. The gas line then caught fire, causing an explosion and spreading the fire into the bank.
"The odds of this happening, just right from the ATM, right into the gas line, is pretty extraordinary," said Eric Kowalik, who witnessed the aftermath of the crash.
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That car is expected to be removed from the crash site on Saturday.
No one was injured, including the driver and the bank's customers and employees, Giammarese said.
The fire was fueled by the broken gas line. Giammarese said Nicor crews at the scene worked to shut off the gas, but had to dig several feet under the building to do so and which took several hours.
Fire crews doused the fire with water to prevent it from spreading further. They will fully extinguish the fire once the gas is turned off.
The gas was shut off around 9:30 p.m. Friday and the flames appeared to be dying down after that.
As a result of the crash and fire, traffic was shut down on eastbound Lake Street from Bloomindale Road.
Giammarese also said that there was a delay between the crash and when the gas line ignited, which allowed everyone including the driver to leave the area safely. There were no injuries reported.
Chase Bank is sending their own private representatives to provide security to the bank 24 hours a day until the structure is repaired.
