{"id":944,"date":"2019-04-12T17:34:51","date_gmt":"2019-04-12T17:34:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/9thstreetjournal.org\/?p=944"},"modified":"2023-03-27T15:52:10","modified_gmt":"2023-03-27T15:52:10","slug":"like-a-bomb","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/9thstreetjournal.org\/2019\/04\/12\/like-a-bomb\/","title":{"rendered":"‘It was like a bomb’"},"content":{"rendered":"

Freddy DiVallerino was trimming trees on the 100 block of North Duke Street when he heard the explosion.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt was like a bomb,\u201d he said. \u201cI had my back turned, and when I looked around I saw glass and chunks of the building hitting the ground.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

One person was killed and at least 17 people, including a firefighter, were injured after a gas explosion rocked downtown Durham Wednesday morning. Residents blocks away felt the blast and wondered what happened. But for those nearby, there was no doubt that something enormous and lethal had just occurred.<\/span><\/p>\n

DiVallerino owns Freddy\u2019s Tree Services. His staff was working on the landscaping in front of the Ingram Collection, a private museum of Porsches, right before the explosion.<\/span><\/p>\n