Well that’s one way to get a fresh air smell into the car
A MOTORIST learned the hard way that the union of a powerful aerosol and a lit cigarette can have catastrophic consequences when he exploded his own car on a busy high street in Halifax.
Fortunately, the driver, who has not yet been identified, escaped the blast with only minor injuries.
West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service (WYFRS) said the cause of the “dramatic” explosion was “excessive” air freshener use.
The motorist, driving a black Seat Leon, was stuck in traffic in Fountain Street, when the incident happened. Spray from the aerosol ignited when he lit a cigarette and caused a huge explosion which blew out the windscreen, buckled the doors and damaged windows on nearby offices. One eyewitness, Craig Chew-moulding, wrote on Twitter: “A car explosion in Halifax Town Centre. What an enormous bang. I was in an adjacent bar. Unbelievably the driver just climbed out. Thankfully there appears to be no injuries.”
Another added: “‘It was an almighty boom. An aerosol? We watched his windscreen and window glass fall from the sky.”
Pictures of the incident show the car’s boot and back windows were also blown out.
The WYFRS investigation unit said: “We don’t always see risk in everyday items but invariably they do exactly what is says on the tin. We have attended incidents of a similar nature before. Always read the labels.”
A spokesman for West Yorkshire Police said: “Please can members of the public be careful and follow guidelines when using air freshener cans.”