Police are calling a car explosion, which put one woman in the hospital with burns, an accident. This happened just one month after a car bombing left a man seriously injured.
The car exploded in a parking lot outside several office buildings and apartments in east Memphis when a woman lighting a cigarette ignited fumes from cleaning products inside the vehicle.
"What we've learned through interviews is she's a cleaning lady, self employed. She had a lot of chemicals in the trunk. She got in the car, it appears the car wouldn't start then there was a flash and that's why you saw a push.”
Police are calling it an accident, but just a month ago investigators responded to another car explosion, which turned out to be a car bomb.
That blast nearly killed Doctor Trent Pierce, head of the Arkansas Medical Board, as he left for work. Even though investigators say that incident didn't change the way they handled this explosion, they are relieved they didn't find a bomb.
"We take each one for what they are...and that's a good thing."
Dr. Pierce is still in the hospital after a bomb blast in his driveway last month. He says he doesn't remember what happened. A $50,000 reward is being offered to anyone who can provide information leading to an arrest and conviction in the attack.
So far this week ATF agents have received more than 300 leads. If you have any information, call the ATF hotline at 888-ATF-bomb.
