Car Crashes Into Martinez Home; Causes Gas Leak, Road Closures: Police

MARTINEZ, CA — A car crashed into the side of a home Wednesday morning in Martinez, causing a gas leak, police said.

It happened shortly after 9 a.m. in the 2000 block of Alhambra Avenue. A bystander called police and reported a car veered off the roadway and drove into a house, police said in a news release.

The collision severed a PG&E gas line to the house and natural gas began to leak from the line. Officers arrived and evacuated both the house and the surrounding structures.

The male driver of the car took off, prompting officers to launch a manhunt in the area.

As of 1:30 p.m., the suspect remained at large.

PG&E confirmed it was notified at 9:17 a.m. Wednesday that a car had struck a home in Martinez, causing damage to a gas service line.

"PG&E arrived on the scene shortly after to assess the damage and ensure the area was safe," PG&E Spokesperson Tamar Sarkissian said in an email to Patch. "Gas flow was stopped at 10:41 a.m. Once we are notified that the customer has completed initial repairs on their side of the meter, we will send a gas service representative back to the home to safely turn gas back on. No other customers had gas service impacted due to this vehicle accident."

As of 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, Soto Street remained closed between Castro Street and Alhambra Avenue as the police investigation continued.

This is a developing story; refresh the page for the latest updates.