Connie Jo Discoe/McCook Daily Gazette Nebraska State Patrol Sgt. Joel Smith (above) and an accident reconstruction specialist from the State Patrol are assisting the McCook Police Department with the accident investigation. [Click to enlarge]

Ryan Stecker of McCook, 33, suffered back and internal injuries in the accident and is listed in critical condition at the Kearney Hospital. Senamon Rogers McLeod, 37, suffered a fractured neck, broken elbow and injuries to her right knee, and is also listed in critical condition.

Stecker and Rogers McLeod were injured when Stecker's pickup apparently hit and sheared off a power pole in the 700 block of East A (which is posted with a "Road Closed" street sign), tore off emergency shut-off valves in a natural gas pipeline assembly, hit a dirt embankment and tumbled, flipped and rolled.

Nebraska State Patrol reconstruction specialist J.J. Connelly of North Platte said this morning that alcohol and excessive speed are factors in the accident. Neither occupant was wearing a seat belt; both were ejected, Connelly said.

The accident was discovered at about 2:15 a.m. by McCook police officers who observed flashing lights in the area, according to McCook Police Chief Ike Brown.

Emergency personnel worked around the shattered pickup and objects tossed from the cab and pickup bed, all the while exposed to the natural gas vapors hissing and screeching from the broken valves and constantly monitored by SourceGas personnel.

Ambulance personnel transported Stecker and Rogers McLeod to Community Hospital of McCook, and they were then transferred to Kearney. It was initially thought there might have been three occupants, but a third person was located and was not involved in the accident, said McCook Fire Chief Marc Harpham.

Electrical power and gas service were cut to areas of east McCook, and Burlington Northern Santa Fe train traffic was interrupted to reduce/eliminate sparks that might ignite the natural gas, according to Harpham.

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Ronda Jaeschke of Kearney, business relations for SourceGas, said this morning that the accident severed "needle valves" in the natural gas pipeline valve set. Personnel made temporary repairs, Jaeschke said, isolating damaged areas and installing emergency sleeves. The hissing stopped about 4:20 a.m.

Crew members were to return this morning to make permanent repairs, Jaeschke said. Nebraska Public Power District personnel were on the scene by daylight this morning to replace the broken power pole and restore power to Casey's East and CarQuest.

Police Chief Brown said his department contacted the Nebraska State Patrol to provide the accident reconstruction specialist to assist in the investigation. "Alcohol is being investigated as a contributing factor in the accident," Brown said in a press release this morning. "The investigation into the accident is ongoing."