Hanover police investigating after hit-and-run leaves hydrant spewing water late Friday

A hit-and-run left water blasting out of a hydrant after it was struck by a vehicle late Friday night in Hanover, officials said.

Emergency crews were called to the scene of a reported hit-and-run at the intersection of Kuhn Drive and Randolph Street at 11:36 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 4, 2024, according to York County 911 records.

When they arrived, they would find water blasting from beneath a damaged fire hydrant on the corner of the road.

The incident was somewhat unusual, said Hanover Area Fire & Rescue firefighter Brian McDermitt at the scene, as dry barrel fire hydrants are designed to normally snap off above the water main to prevent the flow of water.

Despite that, the force to the hydrant managed to damage the branch-off of a water main that flows into it, McDermitt said, rather than simply snap off the dry barrel portion of the hydrant as is intended.

Crews from the Hanover Water Department were called in to stop the flow of water, which was completed around 12:24 a.m. on Saturday morning.

The crews used a metal detector to find the location of the shut-off under the flowing waters, then used a long water shut-off curb key to shut down the flow between the main water main and the short, damaged branch that fed the fire hydrant.

After the flow of water ceased, a sizable, deep hole could be seen where water blasted dirt out of the ground and into Kuhn Drive.

While repairs are pending, water crews placed cones around the hole, then taped off the cones and put a large board over the hole.

The fire hydrant was placed out of service pending repairs, McDermitt said, adding that the area is well-covered by other close-by fire hydrants which will continue to function.

Car parts could be seen in the roadway around the hydrant. Officials on the scene said that a damaged vehicle was recovered nearby, but that the driver appeared to have fled.

Hanover Borough Police are investigating the crash.

Harrison Jones is the Hanover reporter for the Evening Sun. Reach him at hjones@gannett.com .

This article originally appeared on Hanover Evening Sun: Hanover police investigating after hit-and-run leaves hydrant spewing water late Friday