An accident that only involves two cars can be dangerous enough. When a gas station is added to the mix, it can be deadly. Thankfully the car accident that near a Lake Charles Conoco station last week was not fatal. Although one driver was injured, neither lost their lives.
The auto accident was caused by an SUV driver who decided to speed through a yellow light. As the SUV entered the intersection at 18th and Lake Street, it crashed into a maroon sedan. One of the cars slid into the Conoco station and collided with a gas pump that erupted into flames. The SUV driver was able to escape her car quickly, but the driver of the sedan could not get out of her car.
Although one person’s negligence could have ended tragically, there are a few heroes in this story. Gas station employees acted quickly and were able to shut off the gas to the pump before the flames could engulf the vehicles. Two witnesses pulled the driver of the sedan to safety.
One of the witnesses said, “we just wanted to get her out of danger.” The other claimed, “if [the gas pump] would have blown up, she could have been dead. She was too close to the gas station. We had to help her get out.”
The SUV driver could certainly have done more damage, but the other driver was still hurt because of her poor decision. After the rescue, the sedan driver was taken to St. Patrick’s Hospital. She was released after being treated for her injuries.
Source: KPLC 7, “Collsion near gas station sends flames shooting,” Brandon Richards, 17 Sept 2010
