'We didn't sign up for this' | Sellersburg neighborhood frustrated after Lumos hits gas line

SELLERSBURG, Ind. (WDRB) -- A local fiber optic contractor is in hot water again after causing a gas leak in a southern Indiana neighborhood, cutting natural gas service to hundreds of homes.

Frustration surrounds the Yorktown Park subdivision in Sellersburg after Lumos, which has been installing internet for a week.

"Everyone's frustrated, the lawns are getting completely tore up, everything is muddy," Angela Colburn, who lives in the neighborhood, said.

Crews hit a main gas line while digging Thursday evening, causing a gas leak that shut off the service for about 200 customers. Traffic on State Road 60 was diverted because of the leak, and the neighborhood was blocked by emergency crews.

"People panicking because they needed to get home or they needed to leave for a job, kids were home by themselves, it was complete disaster," Missy Mitchell, Yorktown Park resident, said.

Residents couldn't enter or leave the subdivision until about 10:30 p.m.

"It seems like everything has unfolded in a negative way, with everything regarding the internet stuff," said Colburn.

This summer, Lumos was responsible for several utility line hits in southern Indiana and Kentucky. There have also been numerous complaints from residents on both sides of the Ohio River about yards being left a mess and unsafe practices. Floyd County went so far as to suspend work permits twice this summer for the company.

"They're little tornadoes, just going in and causing destruction and then leaving it for us to pick up," Mitchell said.

It's a similar story in Sellersburg.

"We just sodded our yard a year before last, so we've put a lot of work into it," Colburn said. "So it's frustrating, we've worked really hard to maintain a pretty yard, so we're hoping that this will germinate and this will get fixed as well."

Residents now say they're hoping for the best.

"We didn't sign up for this. We weren't asked. It was pushed on us, and there's nothing we can do to stop it," said Mitchell.

In response to a request for comment, a Lumos spokesperson said "All repairs are complete and service has been fully restored. To ensure continued safety and efficiency, our team is working closely with local leaders to hold additional on-site safety meetings next week with both our internal teams and with CenterPoint Energy."

CenterPoint said Thursday evening technicians would visit customers Friday morning to perform safety checks and reestablish service.

Previous Coverage:

Repeated utility line hits in Indiana, Kentucky raise concerns over Lumos crew oversight

Lumos crews installing fiber optic cables in New Albany hit 4-inch gas line

Lumos crews strike utility lines again in New Albany, but officials say company is improving

Gas leak in Fairdale linked to fiber optic company hit in Indiana with stop-work orders

Water outage in New Albany caused by fiber optic contractor already under scrutiny

Fiber optic company faces backlash in Floyd County over damaged property, unsafe practices

Floyd County halts fiber optic work after resident complaints, multiple gas line strikes

Judge issues immediate stop-work order for fiber optic installation in Floyd County