Family Of Man Killed In Gas Explosions Suing Columbia Gas

LAWRENCE, MA -- The family of Leonel Rondon will file a wrongful death lawsuit against Columbia Gas of Massachusetts, an attorney for the family said Friday. Rondon was the lone fatality in the Sept. 13 gas explosions that damaged or destroyed 131 buildings in Andover, North Andover and Lawrence. Rondown, who had just received his driver's license, was parked in the driveway of his family's Lawrence home when the house was flattened by an explosion and a chimney collapsed onto the SUV. A passenger in the car suffered severe injuries, while two other passengers escaped unscathed.

Doug Sheff, the attorney filing the lawsuit, said the family wants "justice" and that Columbia Gas was "reckless" in the events leading up to the explosions. The National Trasnportation Safety Board, which is still working on its investigation, has blamed the explosions on overpressurization in gas lines.

Columbia Gas declined comment on the lawsuit. Last month the company was targeted in a class action lawsuit that claimed Columbia Gas knew of 150 leaks in its transmission system and $27 million it needed to make in infrastructure improvements nearly a year beforethe explosions.

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Top: The house on Chickering Road in Lawrence where 18-year-old Leonel Rondon was killed on Sept. 13. Rondon was sitting in the car parked in the driveway when a gas explosion destroyed the house and toppled the chimney onto the car. Photo by Dave Copeland/Patch.

Dave Copeland can be reached at dave.copeland@patch.com or by calling 617-433-7851. Follow him on Twitter (@CopeWrites) and Facebook (/copewrites).