(WBBM NEWSRADIO) — Two 14-year-old boys were injured early Tuesday when a vehicle they had taken for a drive without permission exploded near Plainfield Central High School, police in the southwest suburb reported.
Police suggest the cause of the explosion was an Acetylene tank in the trunk of the vehicle.
Residents called 9-1-1 around 2 a.m. to report a loud explosion outside the high school, 24120 West Fort Beggs Drive. First-responders came upon a 2015 Ford Focus fully engulfed in flames at the school's south parking lot.
Also discovered were two burn and blast victims, both juveniles. Police say they learned the 14-year-olds had left their homes without permission and taken a work vehicle belonging to one of the boys' fathers.
The juveniles said they had heard a hissing noise within the vehicle, so they pulled into the school parking lot. When they got out of the vehicle, it exploded, they told police.
One teen was sustained a minor injury to his face and was transported to Amita Saint Joseph's Medical Center in Joliet. The other teen "sustained more severe head injuries" and ultimately was transported to Loyola Medical Center in Maywood, Plainfield Police said.
The owner of the vehicle told police there was an Acetylene tank in the trunk that he uses for work.
Acetylene tanks, used in connection with welding, are flammable and must be stored properly.
Additional details were not available.
