By MAURA SATCHELL

msatchell@dnj.com

A party trick gone awry Saturday caused an explosion that ripped open the legs of the host and was so loud neighbors thought it was a blown transformer, police said.

John Winkler, 28, suffered serious injuries in the explosion at his River Rock Boulevard home and was still in the hospital Sunday after a glass container blew up on his legs. Murfreesboro Fire Department and police were called to the home just before 9 p.m.

"The call came out as a hazardous materials call," said Murfreesboro Police Officer Scott Newberg, who was dispatched to the scene at 8:56 p.m.

Newberg and his partner Mark Wood found Winkler with serious injuries, mainly to the thighs.

"He had muscle and tendon out of it and had lost a lot of blood," said Newberg.

Winkler sat cradling a large glass container, filled it with rubbing alcohol, added compressed air and lit it, "which essentially turned it into a bomb, and the glass basically ripped his legs wide open," Newberg said.

Winkler, an MTSU student, was hospitalized Sunday at Middle Tennessee Medical Center on the third floor, but hospital authorities declined to disclose his condition.

Another partygoer, Shawn Cohan, 31, of Lake in the Hills, Ill., also was taken to MTMC but was released.

They were celebrating a birthday, Newberg said, and there were no minors but "plenty of alcohol" at the party held by John and Jenny Winkler.

Submitted on 05/03/2005

Submitted by: Anonymous
Reference: www.dnj.com Apr. 20, 2005

Copyright © 2005 DarwinAwards.com

Daniel said:
Neutral: Honorable Mention
What did he think it would do? Alcohol and compressed air = high temperature. I've cooked a lot of meals on alcohol stoves.

Kelly said:
Definitely Keep: Honorable Mention

Jack said:
Neutral: Honorable Mention
I'd like to know how he kept the compressed air in the bottle while igniting the alcohol! But it is just stupid enough to keep.

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