Residents were evacuated in the middle of the night and a P-plater has been charged with drink driving after she allegedly crashed her car and hit a gas pipe at a Sydney shopping centre.
Emergency services were called to Defries Avenue, Zetland just before 3.15am on Sunday after reports that a Volkswagen Golf had crashed into a loading dock at East Village in Sydney’s inner east.
The driver, a 20-year-old woman, underwent a roadside breath test which allegedly returned a positive result.
Residents from a nearby unit block, including young children were woken and evacuated in the middle of the night because of the gas leak caused by a P-plater
NSW Fire and Rescue crews were called to East Village in Zetland on Sunday morning
She was taken to Redfern Police Station where she returned an alleged breath analysis reading of 0.110.
She told police that a family emergency was her excuse for being behind the wheel.
The legal blood alcohol limit for a P-plater is zero.
The woman was charged with mid range drink driving and will appear at Downing Centre Local Court on April 2.
Residents from a nearby unit block, including young children were evacuated due to the gas leak.
‘The smell of gas, even up on level six was incredible,’ resident David Mills told 9 News.
‘We got ushered quite quickly by the ambos right down the street.’
Residents and some businesses in the shopping centre remained without gas for most of Sunday as technicians spent time repairing the damaged pipe.
‘Unfortunately due to an earlier traffic incident, East Village is currently without gas and this has resulted in some of our cafes and restaurants having limited services. Degani and Mad Mex are unable to open today,’ the centre posted on Facebook.
‘We are sorry for any inconvenience this is causing. We are working to resolve this quickly.’
Village Crown manager Jason MacDonald told 9 News: ‘It means we have a very limited menu. We can’t do anything in the fryers or anything in the pizza oven.’
The female P-plater, 20 was taken to Redfern Police Station, where she was charged with mid range drink driving
Some East Village cafes and restaurants remained without gas for most of Sunday as the damage to the gas pipe was repaired
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