A truck exploded down a residential street in Illinois on Saturday. The explosion damaged several buildings and threw debris across the road and into nearby houses.
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According to a press release by the Addison Fire Protection District, the incident occurred on Saturday morning at around 8:43 AM on North Wood Dale Road. When authorities arrived, they found a “large debris field,” although there was no fire. Police and fire crews reportedly searched the area and “controlled fluid leaks” from the truck. The explosion was so severe that it dealt structural damage to one nearby house, causing “potential for collapse.” Authorities evacuated the occupants. The driver of the truck was transported to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
A report by ABC 7 explains that the explosion smashed the glass and bricks of a nearby home. The outlet also shares shocking footage of the incident, which was caught on a ring camera outside one of the houses. A small box truck is driving down the road before a sudden and loud explosion engulfs the vehicle. The force of the blast appears to blow the vehicle’s roof into the air, showering nearby houses with debris.
The outlet also interviewed several local residents. As it was Memorial Weekend, Angelo Source said, “Wow, they’re starting early with the fireworks this year, but that one sure seems to have a little extra punch.”
Rock Foreman explained that he narrowly missed the blast, saying, “We missed this thing about three to five minutes. Like, if we just lounged around a little bit longer, we’d have been right here when it happened.”
The Truck Was A Rental Vehicle
The truck was reportedly a rental vehicle from Penske, per ABC 7. A spokesperson from Penske said, “Under Penske’s rental agreement, explosive, flammable, or otherwise hazardous materials should not be transported in a consumer rental moving truck.” Four homes were damaged in the blast, and miraculously, authorities reported no fatalities.
The Addison Police Department released a statement on Facebook, ruling the explosion as “an accident.” The department enlisted the help of the DuPage County Bomb Squad but did not find anything suspicious. Investigators suspect the incident was caused by ” a propane tank leaking into the truck.” Authorities took several hours to clean up the area before reopening the road.