Associated Press – July 21, 2007:
A 19-year-old woman caught fire after she was fiddling with a cigarette lighter as she pumped gas, authorities said.
Brianna Sanchez was at a Sun Dial gas station with her boyfriend Friday night when the incident occurred, said Sgt. Jackie Budd, a spokesman with the San Juan County Sheriff’s Office.
Budd called the incident a “freak accident” and said there was no reason to believe otherwise.
He said witnesses reported the woman was casually pumping gas and that she had a lighter in her hand. That’s when flames shot out of the gas tank.
The woman and the immediate area caught fire. A person at the scene put out the blaze with a fire extinguisher.
Wouldn’t it be even better if we all drove electric cars and didn’t need to drive around with explosives in our cars? For any who haven’t seen it yet, check out the documentary Who Killed the Electric Car?
It doesn’t sound like she removed herself from the gene pool, so no Darwin Award for this induhvidual.
#1, we have nuclear powered submarines. With the technology that we have today I am sure that we can build a nuclear-powered car. Just think, you NEVER have to refuel for the life of the car.
Here’s your sign. [de de de]
I’ve actually witnessed a witless jerk smoking while filling his Cessna with avgas! I literally ran as fast as I could and moved my plane as far away as possible.
Now for sale on eBay — Max Pruss’ (Captain of the Hindenburg) Zippo lighter, some smoke damage on lid…
#1, Scott: “induhvidual” 😆
Smoking at the gas pump is so common in the South, I’m amazed more of Bubbas and Bubbettes have not BBQ’d themselves. There is something so profoundly stupid about placing an ignition source near gasoline vapors that it boggles the mind of anyone with IQ above that of a turnip.
I’m sorry the woman in the article may have been injured or terrified… but if the accident teaches another idiot not to pull the same stunt, I guess there was a bright side… besides the flames.
hahah I remember this one time I pulled up to the pump to get gas (at a chevron, btw), and there was this guy tinkering on his car – at one of the other pumps and he was smoking at the time – then his carburator caught on fire…. and I went to a shell and got gas there instead
#2 – can you see the unionized idiots who build cars installing a nuclear engine in a car? thats impossible!! somone would slip up, and then Detroit would be a smoking crater (not that it wouldnt be an improvement)
Speaking of Darwin, when are the liberals with half a clue going to get rid of the ones without who will use any thread to state their agenda?
Of course, the fact you’re not jumping on the anti-union guy shows you’re all not quite on par.
#2 – Man of Leisure,
Make my nuclear car a Delorean please. I’m sure Mr. Fusion will get the reference if he shows up on this thread.
#4 – BubbaRay,
I can’t take credit for induhvidual. It’s from Scott Adams, creator of Dilbert. It’s sometimes spelled inDUHvidual just to make sure no one misses the point.
#8 – James Hill,
I resemble that remark. AFAIK, there is no natural selective force against doing so though, so Darwin’s got nothing to do with it.
Aside from all the stupidity around it, she is LUCKY AS FUCK that she didn’t die.
Also I feel bad for the boyfriend,
I mean, I have no idea what I would do if I ever saw my g/f explode into a ball of flames right in front of me. D:
@Dauragon88
Break out the marshmallows?
Smoking must kill brain cells too! I thought we learned about mixing fire and gasoline together is bad back in grade school? Is their not signs warning of this at every gas pump in the world? If I was the guy with her I would run as far away as I could from her!
But then the lazy ass boyfriend could not even get his ass out to pump the gas! A couple of real winner’s there!
I admire girl friends that will try to help when they can. Who wants to go into the store and pay for the gas and then come out and pump while she sits there being bored because she’s not constantly entertained?
No, good ol’ sourthern gal pulling her weight. I applaud her attitude if not her competency.
Further, I am attracted to any gal that smokes. I figure if she smokes, she’ll put anything into her mouth.
I’m sorry to hear that she survived. Anyone dumb enough to light up at a gas pump is too stupid to be allowed to continue living and possibly contaminate the gene pool.
I wouldn’t be surprised that this woman would sue the gas station for not providing the necessary warning labels and even sicker is that she will win.
If the explosion and flames don’t kill you, the lung cancer will. Smoking’s just too dangerous for your health!
#11 – Improbus,
Barbecue sauce.
Keeping your car running while filling up is not a good idea, either. There are many sources of static on a running car that can ignite gas vapors.
this is just natural selection in action.
@17 – Misanthropic Scott
Long Pig ….. mmm mmm good!
#1 – “Wouldn’t it be even better if we all drove electric cars and didn’t need to drive around with explosives in our cars?”
Yeah, because it’s Oh So Much better to drive around with hundreds of pounds of toxic metals and viciously acidic liquids…
FREAK + ACCIDENT =???
Gasoline will only ignite under certain temperature and pressure constraints. Ever seen a cigarette put out in liquid gasoline? I
have . *Sparks* ignite gasoline.
Is it just me or is there a creepy face coming out of the left side of the smoke?
Ok headline aside I don’t suppose anyone noticed that she was fiddling with a lighter, not actually smoking? “He said witnesses reported the woman was casually pumping gas and that she had a lighter in her hand. That’s when flames shot out of the gas tank.” Nope, not smoking…this sounds more like a case of static discharge, or maybe she was dumb enough to flick the wheel on the lighter near enough to the gas tank, but they obviously don’t say that she was lighting anything. Sorry, I guess I just don’t get the headline!
#25: I see it too. Two eyes, a nose, a mouth. Jeez.
#11….Improbus…your one sick fu*k…..love it…. 🙂
#9, Scott,
RE: #2, Yes.
#8, James,
Geeze, you’re such hot shit it must be dangerous fueling your own gas hog.
#23, Les,
Right on.
Yep, as a kid, I watched many a pump jockey fill tanks all day long with cigarettes in their mouths, as thousands – no, more like tens of thousands – do every day, all over the world, without incident. A spark or a flame is necessary, a tobacco ember won’t do it. And it needs to be in the presence of both vapors and air. Too much of either and nothing happens.
The very real risk when fueling a car is actually from static discharge, when you get in and back out of the car and rub your sit-upon on the upholstery, then reach for the nozzle and inadvertently brush the car body – now, that’s something that DOES happen…
This bitch is a genuine moran…
I saw it too. It’s Albert Einstein’s face in the smoke. Where is the Virgin Mary when you need her?
AFTER you get out of your car, you TOUCH the car or the Gas pump, FIRST…. NOt the nozzle, and nothing else…
If you forget something IN the car…SAME procedure….TOUCH something metal…NOT the pump nozzle….OR NEAr the Nozzle…