Smith police charge Burgettstown man who drove onto gas well site

A Burgettstown man was arraigned Tuesday on charges filed by Smith Township police after he allegedly drove through a closed gate and onto a gas well site in an apparent attempt to elude an officer early Saturday.
Richard Brian Cipranic, 47, of 900 Joffre-Cherry Valley Road, is accused of damaging the Range Resources gas well site, rendering it inoperable until repairs were made. An employee of Range Resources told police if Cipranic had struck any active gas lines on the property, it would have caused a “catastrophic” explosion and fire on the gas well pad.
Cipranic was spotted about 1:15 a.m. driving on Bulger-Candor Road at a high rate of speed before turning onto Grant Street, police said.
Police attempted to stop the vehicle near Joffre-Bulger Road and Joffre-Cherry Valley. Cipranic then turned onto a private road that leads to the gas well pad at 822 Joffre-Cherry Valley. The vehicle then crashed through a locked gate and a barrier protecting an emergency shutoff switch.
The vehicle continued back onto Joffre-Cherry Valley toward Joffre with a flattened rear tire. Cipranic then pulled into his driveway, sideswiping a pickup truck parked in the yard before going onto a wooded trail behind the home.
Police continued to follow Cipranic as he drove through the woods on narrow paths back to the private road toward the well site. The officer stopped his vehicle at the well pad. Cipranic turned his vehicle around and drove past the cruiser at a slow speed, turned off the lights on his vehicle and drove into the woods.
Police found the vehicle abandoned and blood inside it. Police tried unsuccessfully to locate Cipranic through his cellphone data, but gave up after an hour.
An employee of Range Resources told police the site had to be shut down for about eight hours for repairs. The cost of repairs was estimated at $3,800 while the loss of production was estimated at $5,000.
Cipranic, who surrendered to police Tuesday, was arraigned before District Judge Gary Havelka on charges of criminal trespass, risking a catastrophe, fleeing or attempting to elude police, criminal mischief, flight to avoid apprehension and numerous traffic violations. He was released on $10,000 unsecured bond and is scheduled for a June 28 preliminary hearing before Havelka.