A massive pipeline explosion that shot a pillar of flame toward the sky after a vehicle drove through a fence and struck an above-ground valve on Monday was not terror-related, authorities said.
Police and local FBI agents investigated and found no preliminary reports that would suggest a coordinated or “terrorist” attack on the liquefied natural gas pipeline, saying “this appears to be an isolated incident,” according to officials in Deer Park.
Sherry and Chad Richard told KTRK-TV that the SUV caught their attention “because the car was moving so slow” before it “just veered off.”
The vehicle went through a fence before striking the valve, leading to a “boom” and “fire everywhere,” Sherry Richard told the station.
Chad Richard told KTRK that he initially thought the driver suffered a medical emergency because the SUV “drifted” and “really wasn’t going that fast” until getting past the fence.
“My thought was she had a heart attack or whatever and drifted over there because it really wasn’t going that fast,” Chad Richard told KTRK. “But once it got over the fence, it just picked up.”