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Gas leak at apartment-style home, police follow trail of damage to DUI suspect

Posted at 5:05 AM, Aug 14, 2014
and last updated 2014-08-14 05:05:58-04

KALAMAZOO, Mich. — An apartment-style home was briefly evacuated early Thursday morning after something crashed into a gas line.  Fortunately for police, that ‘something’ left a trail that led them straight to the source.

The call came in for a possible gas leak at 222 West Vine in Kalamazoo shortly before 1:00 a.m.  When Kalamazoo Public Safety officers arrived, they found a gas line with extensive damage. Clearly something had hit it.

There was a minor leak that they were able to contain, and, after a brief evacuation, residents went back inside.  That’s when they turned their efforts to what caused the damage.

Nearby, officers found a vehicle’s side view mirror and a trail of scuff marks in the road that led from the gas line to the road and into the neighboring driveway.  There they located a vehicle with front-end damage and a front tire that was riding on its rim.

They made contact with the owner, who, police say, was a visibly intoxicated woman.  They took her into custody, but she didn’t go quietly.

The suspect faces charges of driving under the influence, leaving the scene of an accident, and resisting arrest.