Cleaning Chemicals Cause Car Explosion,Dumb Woman Suffered Burns

**megimoo** · 03-07-2009, 10:49 PM

MEMPHIS, Tenn. - A Memphis woman is recovering after her car exploded Thursday afternoon.

It started as a bomb scare, but police said it was actually a freak accident involving cleaning solvents.
snip
Police said Monica Pruitt, a self employed cleaning lady, had just gotten in her car to leave when it exploded.

"She got in the car. It appears the car wouldn't start," said Memphis police director Larry Godwin. "She sat there for awhile and decided to smoke a cigarette. When she lit the lighter we got what I would call, don't want to use the word detonation, would say more of a flash."
snip

"It gives all resemblance as a detonation type explosive device, but the good thing is we are very confident there was no explosive device," Godwin said. "We have not located one."
snip

"I don't know the technical name for it but a bubble gum remover, it was on the floor board," Godwin said. "She had other chemicals and cleaning agents in the back. The fumes were in the car. She is saying there were fumes in the car. She didn't think a lot about them."

Until the combination of the fumes and her lighter caused the explosive reaction that sent her to the hospital."She has first and second degree burns on her arm, neck and face," said Godwin.But witnesses said after seeing her car, they're amazed it wasn't worse."She's lucky to be alive," a witness said.

**lacarnut** · 03-07-2009, 11:11 PM

That's the hard way to give up smoking.

**AHeneen** · 03-08-2009, 01:58 AM

Originally Posted by megimoo

"I don't know the technical name for it but a bubble gum remover, it was on the floor board," Godwin said. "She had other chemicals and cleaning agents in the back. The fumes were in the car. She is saying there were fumes in the car. She didn't think a lot about them."

Besides the obvious health hazard, how could you not think about poisonous, flammable fumes in the car? Seriously? She's obviously one of those so-stupid-they-deserve-to-die-to-better-the-gene-pool type persons.

Originally Posted by lacarnut

That's the hard way to give up smoking.

:) :) :)

**MrsSmith** · 03-08-2009, 12:44 PM

Originally Posted by AHeneen

Besides the obvious health hazard, how could you not think about poisonous, flammable fumes in the car? Seriously? She's obviously one of those so-stupid-they-deserve-to-die-to-better-the-gene-pool type persons.

:) :) :)

Sheesh, I've heard of people with oxygen cannula on who light up. Habit and Thought don't usually travel together in many human minds.

**Mythic** · 03-08-2009, 01:13 PM

Hopefully she had Geico car insurance...

**noonwitch** · 03-09-2009, 07:44 AM

I'll never forget the time the bus boy at IHOP (when I worked there at age 16) mixed bleach and ammonia, because he thought it would make the floor cleaner.

**megimoo** · 03-09-2009, 07:58 AM

Originally Posted by lacarnut

That's the hard way to give up smoking.

I recall one woman who thought she ran out of propane so she pulled the tank without even turning off the valve and put it in the backseat of her car.She closed the car door and ran into her house to find her keys while her friends waited .

When she finally found them she jumped into her car and drove off to have the tank refilled .On the way she lit up and blew the top from the car but she survived to tell the tale.This has happened numerous times in America,that's the reason for these new style propane tanks .They won't leak when the valve is left open .