Driver charged with DWI after building explodes in North Carolina

The Hill

3 hours ago

WILMINGTON, N.C. (NEXSTAR/ WBTW) — The driver believed to be responsible for a series of events that culminated in the explosion of a building in Wilmington, N.C., has been charged in connection with the incident.
Jason Lee Branch, 46, has been charged with driving while intoxicated (felony serious injury) as well as possession of drug paraphernalia, hit-and-run/leaving the scene of the accident, reckless driving, and failure to maintain lane, the Wilmington Police Department announced.
'He is currently being held under a $100,000 secured bond at the NHSO Detention Center,' officials wrote in a Facebook update on Tuesday evening.
The explosion took place Tuesday a little after 11 a.m. at the offices of the Eastern Carolina Veterinary Medical Center, the Wilmington Fire Department had previously announced. The blast occurred after a car struck and ruptured the gas lines feeding the building, officials said.
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Footage captured by a bystander shows a tower of smoke and debris billowing into the sky after the explosion. A large amount of debris — some of it flaming — is seen falling back to the ground.
No civilians were hurt in the explosion, officials said, but four firefighters who had arrived to investigate the initial ruptured gas line suffered injuries. All four were hospitalized — three with non-life-threatening injuries and one with severe burns to their hands and arms — according to officials.
In an update on Wednesday morning, fire officials said the firefighter with the most severe injuries was scheduled to undergo surgery later in the day at a burn center at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
'Please continue to keep these brave firefighters in your thoughts and prayers as they continue their recovery,' the fire department wrote.