SUV drives onto sidewalk, damages gas meters in Back of the Yards

Several homes were without gas early Monday after an SUV drove onto the sidewalk and damaged meters in the South Side Back of the Yards neighborhood.

The vehicle drove onto the sidewalk about 2 a.m. in the 4700 block of South Paulina, sideswiping gas meters on neighboring properties, according to Vanessa Hall, a spokeswoman for Peoples Gas.

Gas service was then shut off to remove the damaged meters, which are expected to be replaced Monday, she said. Approximately 10 customers were affected by the outage.

The No. 47 bus was temporarily rerouted off 47th Street in both directions via 47th, Ashland, 51st, Damen, and 47th, according to the CTA. The reroute ended by about 4 a.m.

Chicago Police did not immediately provide information on the incident.

The SUV came to rest on the sidewalk, against a home on the block. Neighbors gathered outside as Chicago Police officers investigated and guarded the scene.