NEED TO KNOW
- Ring camera footage captured a box truck exploding in Illinois on May 24 in what authorities have since ruled an accident
- The explosion in Addison was the result of a leaking propane tank in the back of the rental vehicle, per officials
- “I thought, ‘Wow, they’re starting early with the fireworks, this year, but that one sure seems to have a little extra punch,’ ” a neighbor recalled of the moment
An exploding box truck in an Illinois neighborhood left multiple homes damaged and the vehicle’s driver injured during Memorial Day weekend.
On the morning of Saturday, May 24, the Addison Fire Protection District and Addison Police Department in Addison responded to the scene of an explosion at North Wood Dale Road, both agencies shared on Facebook.
Upon arrival, crews discovered a “large debris field” ranging from Oak Street to Overkamp Avenue with “no indication of any fire” at that point.
Ring camera footage shared by multiple outlets, including ABC affiliate WLS, shows the moment the large vehicle exploded while traveling through the residential area during the holiday weekend — as a massive “boom” noise could be heard, smoke appeared in the bed of the truck and debris flew through the air within seconds.
Per an updated release from the APD, an investigation with the DuPage County Bomb Squad and ATF found that there was “no indication of anything suspicious,” with the explosion being ruled an accident resulting from a propane tank leaking in the back of the truck.
The explosion damaged “a few homes” in the area, as the vehicle’s driver sustained minor injuries, per police.
One home was evacuated due to “structural damage and potential for collapse,” per the AFPD. CBS News Chicago reported that the explosion damaged four total homes, including one with a load-bearing wall that authorities say the truck pushed multiple feet inward.
The vehicle was a Penske box truck, which the company told WLS had been rented out to a customer moving household items.
Penske added that “explosive, flammable or otherwise hazardous materials should not be transported in a consumer rental moving truck” under its rental agreement. “Penske will cooperate fully with any further investigation by law enforcement,” the company added.
A spokesperson for Penske did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment on Sunday, May 25.
“I thought, ‘Wow, they’re starting early with the fireworks, this year, but that one sure seems to have a little extra punch’,” neighbor Angelo Source told WLS of the startling moment.
“We missed it,” another neighbor, Rock Foreman, added. “Like, if we just lounged around a little bit longer, we would’ve been right here when it happened.”
Addison Fire Protection District Chief Brock Herion told the outlet that the vehicle’s driver was transported to a local hospital after he was seen “walking next to the truck when the crews pulled up.” He described the debris field as two-blocks long.
Per CBS News Chicago, the district chief added that the homeowners whose home had been hit “described it as an earthquake and then a tree falling on their house.”
“Crews from Addison Public Works and DuPage County are cleaning up the area now, and the roadway should be opened within the next few hours,” police shared in a statement following the explosion. “Thank you for your patience, and a big thank you to Addison PW and our partners at County.”
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