Screenshot from WRAL.com
The famed Ingram Collection of Porsches suffered a massive blow this morning when a contractor broke a gas pipeline during construction at a building next door. While nobody was inside the collection at the time of the blast, one person in the vicinity was killed by the blast, and a further dozen or more were injured. The building that suffered the brunt of the damage housed a software innovation firm, a coffee shop, and three restaurants.
The fire is now contained and gas to the area has been shut off, but the damage is done. You can see in some of the footage on WRAL.com that the initial building appears to have been leveled, and the closest wall of the Ingram Collection to the blaze collapsed, taking some of the roof with it. You can see in the below video as the helicopter camera shows inside the hole in the roof, you can see the collection’s 911R and 550 Spyder with debris fallen on them.
According to Jalopnik.com, Phil Whitehead, General Manager of the Ingram Collection indicated that they have not yet been allowed to assess the damage, but it does seem extensive. Our thoughts are with the families of the injured and killed, the city of Durham as it rebuilds, as well as our friends at the Ingram Collection and Road Scholars.
As we find out more, we will update this post.