A 61-year-old man, identified as Douglas Petersen, died on Saturday morning in Lewiston, Idaho, after the U-Haul rental truck he was operating exploded in the parking lot of a former Navy Store.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!The catastrophic blast was determined by investigators to be accidental, with officials quickly ruling out any criminal involvement. According to a joint statement from the investigating agencies, the explosion was caused by materials stored inside the vehicle, which included propane and gasoline tanks.
Following the incident, the Lewiston Police Station, Lewiston Fire Department, Idaho State Police, and Nez Perce County officials immediately launched a joint investigation. Lewiston Fire Marshal Julian Sorrell confirmed that the evidence did not suggest criminal activity, classifying the event as accidental.
While the explosion was contained to the vehicle and did not result in further fatalities, the force of the blast did cause damage to adjacent local businesses, notably the Old Navy store and the Courtyard Marriott hotel.
Authorities have assured the public that there is no ongoing threat. However, they have requested that the public avoid the area to allow emergency crews and investigators to complete their detailed work. The investigation is currently ongoing to finalize the exact sequence of events leading to the detonation.
