A Massachusetts man suffered “serious injuries” after his car exploded, prompting his neighbors to make a heroic rescue that potentially saved his life.
The Holden man’s car blew up on Saturday due to an apparent leak from an acetylene tank in his trunk, the state fire marshal’s office said in a press release.
One person was injured after an apparent acetylene explosion in a vehicle this morning. The exact cause of ignition has not been determined, but @HoldenMassFire, @HoldenPolice, and @MassStatePolice assigned to @MassFireMarshal believe it was accidental: https://t.co/s0B0S5t76m pic.twitter.com/FUJfAQzyti
— Massachusetts Department of Fire Services (@MassDFS) June 1, 2024
When the Holden fire and police departments responded to the scene, officials said “they observed a car that had sustained catastrophic damage and an adult male whom neighbors had pulled from beneath it.”
“That man was transported to an area hospital with serious injuries,” the fire marshal’s office stated.
Investigators determined that the acetylene tank leaked in the man’s trunk overnight, though the exact ignition source remains unknown. The explosion is believed to be accidental, however.
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Before first responders arrived at the disaster, neighbors rushed to deal with the chaos after hearing the blast.
“It was just a major boom and the house shook,” said resident Cindy Benoit. “The left driver-side tire, the rear one, was completely over his lower leg. He was laying flat on his back with his hand out, and he was just saying, ‘Get the car off me!’”
“He kept telling us, ‘Look for his wallet and phone. Very calm,” she added.
Benoit’s daughter described how her dad “saw the windshield fly into our front yard.”
“The windshield wiper actually ended up by our front porch,” she added.
Acetylene is a colorless, compressed flammable gas that is often used in welding.