Sarah O’Sullivan and Liam O’Sullivan Obituary: Mother and Son, 46 and 20, Killed in Granville House Explosion Caused by Propane Leak

GRANVILLE, Vt. — The Essex Junction community is mourning the deaths of Sarah O’Sullivan, 46, and her son, Liam O’Sullivan, 20, who were killed in a house explosion in Granville on Saturday evening.

According to Vermont State Police, the explosion occurred at approximately 7:45 p.m. on September 5 at a home on Connecticut Trail, off Post Office Hill Road. Investigators later determined that the blast was accidental and was caused by a propane leak inside the residence.

Liam was pronounced dead at the scene. Sarah was transported by first responders to Gifford Medical Center in Randolph, where she later died from injuries sustained in the explosion. Authorities subsequently identified both victims as residents of Essex Junction. Autopsies determined that both died from blast-related injuries.

The explosion also injured three other adults. Two suffered minor injuries, while Shiela Hammond, 69, of Granville, was critically injured and remained hospitalized while receiving treatment outside Vermont.

The incident shocked residents in the rural Granville area, where the force of the explosion was felt and heard by nearby neighbors. Some residents reported damage to their properties, including shattered windows, while emergency crews responded to the scene.

The Vermont State Police Department of Public Safety Fire and Explosion Investigation Unit classified the incident as accidental. Authorities said the preliminary investigation found no indication that the explosion was suspicious.

For the O’Sullivan family, the loss of a mother and son in the same devastating incident has brought unimaginable grief. Friends, relatives and members of the community are left remembering Sarah and Liam while supporting those closest to them.

Sarah O’Sullivan and Liam O’Sullivan will be remembered as a mother and son whose lives were tragically cut short in an accidental explosion that has deeply affected two communities.