Elm St. crash, gas leak linked to driver having medical incident

LACONIA — The driver of a vehicle which lost control, crashed into a building, and ruptured a gas line in Lakeport last week suffered a medical incident moments before the accident, according to police.

Chief Matt Canfield said Thursday that driver, who was not identified, experienced an unspecified medical attack. He said due to the nature of the accident no charges would be made against the driver.

The accident occurred on Feb. 24 when the driver rear-ended a car on Elm Street, drove around that vehicle, then went out of control and smashed head-on into a duplex apartment house at the corner of Elm and Franklin street. When the car hit the building it snapped off a gas line below the gas meter causing a gas leak which forced the evacuation of several residences and businesses and closed Elm Street to through traffic for four hours.

The driver suffered minor injuries, authorities said at the time.

This makes the second accident in Lakeport in as many weeks triggered by the driver experiencing a medical episode.

On Feb. 17 a driver suffered an unspecified medical emergency while driving on Union Avenue and struck the rear end of a pickup truck. The impact caused the truck to lose control, collide head-on with a utility pole and plunge down an embankment. Because the utility pole was broken off, it took utility crews five hours to make the necessary repairs, with Union Avenue was closed to through traffic during all of that time.