Car explodes when driver lights cigarette minutes after spraying air freshener

A DRIVER escaped with minor burns when his car exploded after he sprayed air freshener then lit a fag.

The man crawled out his wrecked Seat after it went up “like a bomb” when flames ignited LPG gas in the aerosol.

Witnesses said the force was so great it buckled the doors and blew out windows of the car and a nearby business.

The driver, who was not named, was treated in hospital for burns to his hands and face and is recovering at home.

Firefighters say the man sprayed the air freshener liberally around his motor before shutting the doors.

He sparked up after driving around half a mile in Halifax, West Yorks.

'LIKE A BOMB'

A witness said: “There was an almighty bang. It was ear-splitting — like a bomb going off.

"Then this bloke gets out. How he was still in one piece was beyond me.

“He was checked over by paramedics and taken to hospital. Looking at the car he should be dead.”

Witness Craig Chew-Moulding, said of the Saturday afternoon shocker: “The bang was enormous. Unbelievably, the driver just climbed out.”

Fire investigation officer John Cavalier said the driver sprayed the entire aerosol into his car.

He said: “He’s then shut the doors for ten minutes to let the nice smell sink in before he got in, opened the windows and drove off.