SAN ANTONIO – Emergency crews responded to St. Matthew's Catholic Church in the 10000 block of Wurzbach around midday on Wednesday after an 80-year-old driver jumped the curb, hitting a two-inch gas line, and the CPS meter next to the parish hall, according to Christian Bove, SAFD spokesman.
Marianne Willis said she had just pulled into a parking space to attend the noon mass.
"I put the car in park," Willis said.
But her car kept going. Willis said she believes the brakes failed.
"They must have given way. I sat on the brakes from the time I realized what happened," Willis said.
Asked if she said a prayer at that point, Willis said, "Oh, man, I was praying like there was no tomorrow."
She said she tried to veer away from the sidewalk, knowing people were arriving for mass or other church activities.
Worried about her brakes, Willis said the gas meter finally stopped the vehicle.
She said immediately she could smell gas, but she could not get out of her driver's side door.
Willis said thankfully, a young man helped her get out the passenger's side door.
"I climbed over the right side and jumped out," she said.
Alvin Caro, the principal of St. Matthew's Catholic School, said its 700 students never were evacuated.
However, Caro said about 15 to 20 senior citizens inside the parish hall, along with about 10 other people in the church administration building, were brought to the school, downwind from the gas fumes.
Just as crews were pushing the car away from the building, according to CPS Energy, the bumper snagged what was used to cap the gas line, causing more fumes to spew into the air until the line quickly was capped once again.
Caro said no one was hurt during the incident, not even the driver.
Willis said the situation was "very frightening, but it was truly a miracle."