A pickup truck struck a utility pole and ruptured a gas line near Cecilia Valley Elementary School Tuesday afternoon.
Hardin County Sheriff John Ward said the incident happened shortly after 3 p.m.
“The pickup truck was westbound on Kentucky 86, and it knocked over a utility pole and also broke the gas line, which had gas leaking out the line freely,” Ward said.
Ward said Cecilia Valley had already dismissed students at the time of the incident, but 32 students along with several staff members were still in the building for the elementary’s afterschool program. Students and staff were advised to shelter in place while the gas line was sealed.
Hardin County Schools Community Relations Specialist John Wright said students were then unable to exit due to the downed utility pole.
“We were asked to inform parents to not come pick up their children,” Wright said. “Even though the gas leak had been repaired the power lines were still down, and it wasn’t long after that that we got word that we could resume as normal, so parents were at that time welcome to pick up their kids and students from the school-age childcare program.”
Wright thanked emergency responders for their quick response to the scene, saying the situation was ultimately back to normal in about 45 minutes.
