Crime & Safety
Pipeline Explosion Survivors Get Skin Grafts as Investigation Continues
Will County police are still investigating the New Lenox pipeline explosion, which killed two men and injured three more. They are reviewing video surveillance from the Prime Time restaurant, where the victims reportedly were before their accident.
Police are still investigating the March 3 pipeline explosion that killed two New Lenox men and injured three others.
Two drove through a fence and hit an Enbridge oil pipeline, causing an explosion that killed Bart Lenz, 21, and Zach Orel, 25.
spokeswoman Kathy Hoffmeyer said a warrant was served to get video surveillance from , where the surviving victims said they were drinking before the car accident.
Find out what's happening in New Lenoxwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
"They're looking for whatever evidence they can about who was drinking and just to verify they were there," Hoffmeyer said.
Police have interviewed employees at Prime Time for more information. Hoffmeyer said charges are still possible for the men involved in the accident.
Find out what's happening in New Lenoxwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
The three survivors were taken to the night of the accident. One man was released that night, but the two others needed to be transferred to the Loyola Medical Center to be treated for severe burns.
Hoffmeyer said the driver of that car, Michael Piersma, 21, was recently released from the hospital after receiving skin grafts. Passenger William Monreal, 20, was still in the hospital getting skin grafts the last time Hoffmeyer got an update.
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