Lucky no-one killed in gas pipe crash, says mum

Lynsey Taylor feared there could have been an explosion when the driver of a grey BMW – suspected of being on drink or drugs – crashed his vehicle in Church Street, Swinton, on Monday (12) and hit two gas pipes.

Lynsey and her husband Ben, along with children Tiana (11), Caia (7) and Peyton (5), had to flee their home because of the gas leak.

Lynsey said she had been in bed when the collision happened at about 10pm.

“The bang was just horrific — it was horrible,” she said.

Lynsey said she had not seen the incident but had been told that a car had lost control and collided with a lamp post, knocking it over.

The car, a grey BMW, then hit Lynsey’s gas mains and severed two gas pipes before bouncing off her neighbour’s wall into another car and ending up on a bollard in front of a salon.

Police confirmed the collision had caused a temporary gas leak which meant the area had to be temporarily cleared.

They said the driver of the BMW was believed to have fled the scene but was detained later on suspicion of drink or drug driving.

The 21-year-old driver of the second vehicle, an orange Seat Ibiza, was taken to hospital as a precaution.

Lynsey said: “I went straight downstairs to see what had happened.

“I thought a lorry had hit the houses.

“I saw cars everywhere and people everywhere.”

Lynsey said many onlookers had come from the nearby Ring O’ Bells pub, which had been open for the first time after lockdown.

“When I went outside, all I could smell was gas,” she said.

“I woke my husband and three kids up and got them out of the house.”

Lynsey said the gas pipe had come up out of the floor and was leaking and her neighbour’s wall had been damaged.

“My first thought was ‘What if there’s an explosion?’,” she said.

“I put my kids and dogs in the car and took them to my dad’s house in Mexborough.”

Lynsey said the family had been allowed home at midnight after the gas was capped off .

She said her and two of her neighbours had lost their gas supply because of the collision.

“I was quite shaken up and I am still shaken up thinking about it all,” she said.

“This collision could have quite easily killed somebody.

“We could have had a gas explosion.

“The car could have ended up in the beer garden and ploughed into everyone in front of the pub.

“They are lucky that no-one was seriously injured.”