Car crash causes gas leak, building evacuation

Source: Evanston Police Department on Twitter

A 72-year-old woman crashed into an Evanston Burger King, 1829 Dempster St., Sunday morning. The accident caused a gas leak, but no one was injured.

Tori Latham, City Editor

A car that crashed into a Burger King in west Evanston on Sunday morning resulted in a gas leak and the evacuation of the restaurant, officials said.

The restaurant, 1829 Dempster St., was evacuated safely and nobody was injured, authorities said.

A 72-year-old Evanston woman was driving northbound on Dodge Avenue at about 10:35 a.m. when she approached a stoplight at Dempster Street and was unable to slow down and stop, officials said.

The car went through the intersection, clipped a traffic light pole with its bumper and knocked it down, Evanston fire department Division Chief Dwight Hohl told The Daily. The vehicle then crashed into the Burger King drive-thru, he said.

There were no other vehicles at the drive-thru, but the impact of the car severed a gas line and caused a leak, officials said.

Evanston fire officials were able to shut off the gas before Nicor Gas arrived on the scene, Hohl said.

The woman was cited for negligent driving, damage to city property, driving on a sidewalk and disobeying a traffic control device, Evanston police Cmdr. Joseph Dugan said. She is scheduled to appear in court April 20.

Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @latham_tori