Driving lesson gone awry results in building evacuation

• 12 apartments were evacuated in an Iselin apartment building.
• The building filled with explosive levels of gas.
• No injuries were reported.

WOODBRIDGE – Tenants living in six apartments in the Iselin section of the township are expected to be able to return home soon after being evacuated Thursday night when a car struck three gas meters on the building, filling it with explosive levels of gas.

Police said it was a 16-year-old girl who had just received her permit and was taking one of her first driving lessons with her dad, who accidentally caused the damage after hitting the car's accelerator pedal instead of the brake.

Police responded to Building 19 at the Green Hollow Drive apartment complex around 10:23 p.m. Thursday.

Police Lt. Gregory Conklin said the girl was getting a driving lesson from her father when she apparently became confused and hit the accelerator pedal instead of the brake and struck a load-bearing wall on the building.

Patrick Kenny, Woodbridge Office of Emergency Management director, said that when the car came off the road, it hit three of the six gas meters on that side of the building, pushing the meters into the wall.

Conklin said that about 40 residents living in the 12 apartments were safely evacuated, as the building was filling with explosive levels gas. PSE&G cut off gas to the building. Kenny said tenants in other buildings in the apartment complex were instructed to shelter in place.

No injuries were reported, Conklin said.

Conklin said six apartments were deemed uninhabitable. The tenants relocated with relatives, officials said.

Kenny said contractors were back out at the building early Friday to repair the load-bearing wall and close it up.

"It's almost done," said Kenny, who hoped to have all of the tenants back in their homes late Friday. He was unsure if the gas would be turned back on by then.

He said the apartments have to be air tested to make sure there are no gas leaks, and new gas meters need to be installed.

Kenny said firefighters from Iselin Volunteer Fire Company District 9 and District 11 responded to the scene.

Staff Writer Suzanne Russell: 732-565-7335; srussell@mycentraljersey.com