Let this serve as a lesson for those who mask the smell of smoke in their car with an exorbitant amount of air freshener spray.
A driver in West Yorkshire reportedly destroyed his black sedan Saturday afternoon by lighting a cigarette after unloading a can of aerosol air freshener, according to the local police and fire departments.
“When the driver lit a cigarette the outcome was dramatic,” the West Yorkshire fire department wrote on Twitter.
“The fumes exploded and blew out his windscreen, along with some windows at nearby business premises,” West Yorkshire Police of Halifax said in a statement posted on Facebook, explaining why there was a road closure on Fountain Street.
“It was an almighty boom,” one Facebook commenter responded. “We watched his windscreen and window glass fall from the sky.”
A car explosion in Halifax Town Centre. What an enormous bang. I was in an adjacent bar.
Emergency services on scene in moments @WYFRS @WYP_Halifax @CMBC_CSRT @YorksAmbulance
Unbelievably the driver just climbed out. Thankfully there appears to be no injuries. #Calderdale pic.twitter.com/1yQkbndIjn— Craig Chew-Moulding (@CraigMoulding) December 14, 2019
Bystanders observed that the man climbed out of his car after he inadvertently turned it into a bomb and detonated it. Paramedics treated the man at the scene, and he sustained minor injuries, according to the Manchester Evening News.
A car has literally just exploded outside my flat, the entire room shook windows rattling absolutely madness! I really hope no one is seriously hurt ????
— machamparmy (@machamparmy) December 14, 2019
“The owner, fortunately, sustained only minor injuries but this could have been worse,” police said in a statement, which pleaded to other air freshener-using smokers: “Please can members of the public be careful and follow guidelines when using air freshener.”