Raging man causes natural gas leak at Spring Hill Hess station

SPRING HILL — A customer, irate at being asked to leave the Hess gasoline station at Mariner Boulevard and County Line Road, kicked a regulator off a high-pressure natural gas line, causing a powerful leak, deputies said.

The man also sliced open cases of soft drinks and turned off the main electrical breaker, authorities said.

A hazardous materials team responded and shut off the gas.

"Luckily, we had a strong wind which dissipated the cloud," Capt. Kenneth Wannen of Spring Hill Fire Rescue said.

Deputies were still searching Thursday for the man, described as white, in his early 20s and wearing a black baseball cap, a black T-shirt and jeans.