SUMMERTOWN, TN (WSMV) -
The Tennessee Highway Patrol has released the name of the driver who died after crashing into a natural gas transfer station, causing a massive explosion Tuesday in Summertown.
The explosion was reported after 6 p.m. along Monument Road, near Highway 20 and Highway 43 South, when a 2009 Nissan Sentra drove through a chain-link fence and struck the line.
The driver was identified as Arthur W. Spence, 29, of Columbia, TN.
At one point, flames were as high as 20 to 30 feet above the ground, officials said.
The surrounding half-mile area was evacuated, affecting around 100 residents, and several crews from neighboring counties were dispatched to assist at the scene.
Residents were allowed to return to their homes around 11 p.m. Tuesday.
"The biggest concern was the safety of the people and the firefighters at that time, just because of the size and the pressure and what could have happened," said Summertown Fire Chief Gary Stewart.
Stewart said the car struck the smaller of two gas lines on the property, but the nearby area has experienced several wrecks and has been a concern for years.
"The intersection over there, if you are not familiar and overshot the stop sign, this is the stopping point. You can cross highway, jump the gully and you're into this property," Stewart said.
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