Truck Plunges into Construction Trench on Chambers Street

Firefighters investigate the scene of an accident on Chambers Street, near Church, where a truck drove through a barrier and into a utility-filled trench. Photo: Carl Glassman/Tribeca Trib

UPDATED 9:00 P.M. 12/7/13

A Nissan Frontier truck veered through a street barrier and plunged into a construction trench on Chambers Street near Church around 11 a.m. Saturday, landing precariously close to a gas main.

The driver of the truck, Moises Benitez, 39, of Brooklyn, was arrested and charged with driving without a license. His license had been suspended, according to police.

Police closed off the street out of fear of a gas leak. The area was declared safe around 12:30 p.m., according to a Fire Department spokesman. Firefighters removed the truck from the trench and it was towed from the scene.

"We did some metering and everything was all clear," the spokesman said. A Con Ed spokesman also confirmed that no leak had occurred.

The driver and a passenger, who were able to remove themselves from the truck, did not require treatment, according to the Fire Department.