Businesses were evacuated Tuesday night after a traffic accident on the North Belt Highway caused a natural gas leak.

Shortly before 8:30pm, a motorist struck a natural gas meter in the parking lot of the Pizza Hut near the Belt and Gene Field Road. St Joseph Police closed the Belt from Floral Avenue to Woodlawn Terrace.

Police reopened the highway at 1:30am Wednesday.

Sergeant Steve Smith said they called businesses and urged them to evacuate. Some did evacuate, and others decided not to.

Smith said a motorist heading south on the Belt left the highway and hit the gas meter. There were no injuries based on initial reports.