N.H. Town May Bill Driver’s Insurer for Gas Leak

Emergency officials in Salem, New Hampshire are considering billing a driver’s insurance company for a car crash that caused a propane leak last week and shut down part of Route 28 for over a day.

Officials estimated that the town spent $20,000 in overtime to contain the leak.

“We’ll submit our costs, what we had to spend for this event,” Salem Police Capt. William Ganley said. “We’ll try to, through the town, get reimbursement from the person responsible.”

A couple in their 80s from Tewksbury, Mass., were in the car that hit the gas main last Wednesday, town officials said. They suffered minor injuries.

Town officials said claims typically are filed with a driver’s insurance company when a car hits a fire hydrant or telephone pole.

Businesses in the area were shut down for days while the fuel was cleaned up.

“No power, no gas, food everywhere,” said Rosemarie Najjar of Rosey’s Place Restaurant. “It was a big mess.”