HOUSTON — A Sonic Drive-In employee escaped major injuries after his car exploded in the parking lot of the Houston restaurant Friday night, authorities said.
The man was taken to the hospital with injuries that were not life-threatening, KTRK-TV reported.
According to the Houston Police Department, the man smelled an unidentifiable gas odor when he entered his vehicle and prepared to leave the restaurant at about 11:15 p.m. CST, the television station reported.
After starting the car, police said the employee rolled down his window because the odor was getting stronger, KHOU-TV reported. The man decided to exit the vehicle, which exploded moments later, according to the television station.
The explosion sent debris flying for hundreds of feet, including a large portion of the vehicle that flew over the restaurant, KPRC-TV reported.
Authorities called the explosion an accident. They said that welding equipment from a relative of the employee was left in the trunk of the car, and a leaking tank of oxy-acetylene possibly led to the explosion, KTRK reported.
”The fact that this young man is still alive is a miracle,” Houston Police Department Assistant Chief Wyatt Martin said at a news conference. “Parts of this vehicle were blown hundreds of feet away.
“This was a very significant explosion, and the young man is very lucky to be alive.”