1 POLICE OFFICER INJURED
BY FLYING DEBRIS IN POLICE CAR TRUNK EXPLOSION AND FIRE IN SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA
Tuesday, January 27, 2015
SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) --
A Treasure Island ramp on the Bay Bridge has reopened
after a car fire injured a California Highway Patrol officer Monday evening,
CHP officials said.
Officers were notified of the fire around 7:30 p.m. on
eastbound Interstate Highway 80 off-ramp, CHP Officer Vu Williams said.
The CHP officer smelled smoke coming from his trunk, so
he quickly got off the ramp to Treasure Island just before his car erupted into
flames. The officer called for help and shortly after two CHP officers got out
of their cars to assist. The trunk then exploded.
"We saw an oxygen tank in there because we do carry
oxygen in our EMT kits and that looked like it had exploded, so that could be a
cause," said CHP officer John Zatezalo. "It could be the fuel tank.
We do have flares in there as well."
One officer was hit in the arm with shrapnel. The other
suffered from smoke inhalation. Both were taken to San Francisco General
Hospital with minor injuries.
San Francisco firefighters responded to the scene and
extinguished the blaze, a fire dispatcher said.
The CHP says it does not carry ammunition in their
trunks.
The cause of the explosion is still unknown, but
investigators will be examining the patrol car more closely Tuesday morning.