Darwin says, "Accepted into the Archive."

(7 April 2007, Tennessee) A 22-year-old man was having a BBQ moment. John's friends had need of charcoal embers, and he had the means to deliver, that means being his trusty 1978 Chevrolet pickup truck. So he put his burning BBQ in the bed of the truck, and set off down the road.

"Obviously, we would urge people not to drive with burning grills in their vehicles." Sheriff's Office spokesman Ted Denny said later. The trouble was, the hot grill was not the only item in the bed of the pickup.

Hot charcoal, meet propane tank.

The propane tank explooded and the Chevy was engulfed in flames. But John was lucky. Due to the quick response of emergency crews, the conflagration was extinguished. John escaped with burns to his lower legs. burns that will no doubt leave scars to remind him that few BBQ emergencies are worth the risk.

22-year-old Montgomery County man received severe burns on his lower legs Sunday afternoon when his pickup exploded.

A burning grill sparked a propane tank, which caused the explosion, officials said.

John was flown to Vanderbilt University Medical Center, said Sheriff's Office spokesman Ted Denny.

Denny said the truck exploded and caught fire about 4 p.m.at the intersection of 41A South and Smith Lane.

The hot grill was too close to the tank and caused the blast, Denny said.

"Apparently, when (John) loaded up the grill he still had hot charcoals, which somehow got too close to the propane tank, and it exploded," Denny said.

"Obviously, we would urge people not to drive with burning grills in their vehicles."

The truck, a 1978 Chevrolet pickup, was engulfed in flames when rescue crews arrived, but was quickly extinguished.

Paramedics stabilized John, and a LifeFlight helicopter took him to Nashville.

"Thank goodness for the quick response of deputies, fire fighters and EMS," Denny said. "The man is fortunate to be alive."

Deputy Carlos Silva and East Montgomery Volunteer Fire Service and Emergency Medical Service crews responded.

Vanderbilt spokeswoman Kathy Rivers said as of Sunday evening she had no record of John's condition or if he had been admitted to the hospital.

Chantal Escoto covers the military and can be reached by telephone at 245-0742 or by e-mail at

Submitted on 04/09/2007

Submitted by: james shonk
Reference: http://www.theleafchronicle.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070409/NEWS01/704090323

Copyright © 2007 DarwinAwards.com

Chip said:
Definitely Keep: Honorable Mention
Driving with a burning grill in his truck sure qualifies as an attempt at a Darwin Award in my book. There is no way he could have gotten it in his truck without knowing that there were hot coals in it. I love the quite "Obviously, we would urge people not to drive with burning grills in their vehicles." Duh! Thanks for the story, james

James said:
Definitely Keep: Honorable Mention
After pondering this, I have to concur with Chip. It is TRES stupid to carry a burning grill on a moving vehicle, and doubly so to transport a burning grill on a moving vehicle in the presence of propane. Our hero duly received the wages of his stupidity, and I will definitely vote HM on this one!

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