Physical, emotional scars slow to heal 2 years after Durham explosion

"I walk up the street every day. I walk right past it. It’s tough walking by it, seeing just the empty lot now," said Pete Susca, the owner of It’s A Southern Thing restaurant, on West Main Street a couple of blocks from the site of the explosion.

A contractor installing underground cables struck a gas line outside the Kaffeinate coffee shop on North Duke Street on April 10, 2019. The resulting blast rocked the area west of downtown Durham, killing two and injuring about two dozen others.

"The building shook. I felt it," Zoldos said. "We could feel the explosion even though we were five, six blocks away."

Rich Meyer was driving a shuttle bus for Carolina Livery and was across the street from Kaffeinate to pick up passengers when the explosion occurred. The blast shattered the windows in the bus and blew off its doors.

"Every single day, I battle fatigue, headaches, memory disconnects," Meyer said, noting that he suffered a brain injury in the explosion that also affected his sight and hearing. "It’s changed my life. ... I have to control the environment that I’m in because sound, light and motion affect me and can affect me very negatively."

"This gas line should not have been ruptured. There should not have been a gas leak; there should not have been an explosion," Kirby said. "It was completely avoidable and preventable. I think everybody, all parts of this lawsuit, would all agree to that. I think the issue that is trying to be determined is who bears responsibility for this happening."

"I think what every one of these individuals who are part of this lawsuit, they would all want safety enhancements so that this never happens to another family," Kirby said. "It’s not directly an aspect of this lawsuit, but I know all the families involved would love to make sure that this never happens to anyone else."

The lawsuits will likely go to trial sometime in late 2022, he said, noting the coronavirus pandemic has slowed the pre-trial process.

Meyer said he doesn't blame anyone for the explosion, but he hopes to get compensation for his injuries. He has been able to do very little work since then, and his workers compensation claim was denied, leaving him responsible for all of his medical costs.

"I happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time," he said. "I incurred my injuries from somebody else’s mistakes, and people make mistakes. I don’t harbor any anger against anyone. It is what it is."

He said he's just thankful to have survived the explosion.

"I can enjoy my wife and my grandkids, my brothers and my sisters. I don’t harbor any resentment at all," he said. "Some day, I hope to wake up and I don’t have to fight the symptoms."

Zoldos said he is paying close attention to the mental health of his firefighters who were on the scene that day, evacuating buildings and helping those hurt in the blast.

"A lot of firefighters nationwide won't go to something this significant their entire careers," he said. "So, it’s something we want to watch [and] take care of."

Susca said some windows in his restaurant that were shattered in the explosion were repaired only Thursday. He said he and his staff remain wary of suspicious sounds or smells.

"Anytime anyone smells gas, it’s almost instantly a freak out," he said. "You hear a big boom, a big crash, and you instantly think, 'What just happened?'"

Replacing the vacant lot with something tangible will help the area and those affected by the blast heal, Susca said.

"I think it’ll make it a little bit easier to, not necessarily forget, but feel like it’s turning into a better, or a more comfortable, situation," he said.