8 hurt in Va. middle school explosion

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. - Crittenden Middle School reopened Tuesday, following a major explosion at the school over the weekend. A meeting to discuss the matter was held Monday. Administrators said the safety of the students was of high importance in their decision making process. According to a district spokesperson, the building passed all necessary inspections.

The school was closed Monday, following the Sunday morning blast that sent eight people to local hospitals, according to Newport News Police spokesman Lou Thurston. The building suffered extensive damage in the blast as well, causing a wall, measuring approximately 20 by 50 feet to collapse.

Crews were at the school just before 7 a.m. fixing the roof following recent storms, said Thurston. The blast ripped a large hole into the building.

"It went BOOM!," one neighbor said, initially thinking a tree had fallen.

Due to the weather, no work will be done Monday to shore up walls. Crews hope to continue working Tuesday.

"The roof joists have been pushed out too, so if the walls give, the roof collapses and we don't want that to happen."

Power has been restored to the rest of the school and security fence and partitions are up to isolate students and staff from the damaged area of the building.

The eight injured contractors work for T.R Driscoll Inc., out of Lumberton, North Carolina. Company president Jim Driscoll refused to comment on the accident and directed WAVY.com to Norfolk attorney Bob Rigney. By phone, Rigney says the company will not comment at this time regarding the investigation and to protect the privacy of its employees, no one will comment on the condition of the workers injured in the blast.

Four victims were taken to Riverside Regional Medical Center, three to Hampton Sentara Careplex and one to Sentara Norfolk General Hospital (SNGH). The four people transported to Riverside have since been transported to SNGH.

"I seen all the smoke and heard people hollering, 'Help me, help me!' screaming, I knew it was serious then," Jim Glover, Jr. said.

Seven of the victims were transported with advanced life support, while another was transported with basic life support.

"I'm really concerned because they're hard working guys man, they didn't deserve that," Glover added.

The Virginia Dept. of Labor and Industry was notified because this is considered an industrial accident, Thurston said.

An ambulance heading to the scene collided with a car that was crossing Jefferson Avenue near the intersection with Winston Road. The 75-year-old driver of the car was taken to Riverside Regional Hospital in Newport News and was conscious and talking.

According to witnesses on the scene, the 75-year-old driver pulled out in front of the ambulance, which had its lights and sirens activated.

Workers had been using propane to melt tar that was being used to spread on the building when the incident happened. They had been working on roof repairs for about five weeks.

The Newport News Fire Department was getting assistance from surrounding jurisdictions.

Investigators will not be able to determine a cause until they can get inside says Newport News Fire Chief Kenneth Jones.