Teen Tries to Mask Cigarette Smoke, Causes Explosion

Too much air freshener created a dangerous gas mix
By Newser Editors and Wire Services
Posted Sep 22, 2016 1:54 PM CDT
Teen Tries to Mask Cigarette Smoke, Causes Explosion
Whoops.   (Pixabay)

A German teenager has suffered serious injuries after accidentally creating an explosion in the family car with air freshener, the AP reports. Police in the western city of Duisburg say the 17-year-old boy had been trying Wednesday to get rid of the smell of cigarette smoke in a recently purchased secondhand Volkswagen SUV. They say the teen sprayed so much air freshener inside the vehicle that it turned into a "combustible gas mixture." The gas ignited when he opened the passenger door and a light switched on. Police said in a statement Thursday that the force of the explosion blew out the vehicle's large glass sunroof. The unidentified teen was hospitalized with burns to both arms. (Air fresheners could also make you dumber.)

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