KNOX COUNTY, TN - UPDATE: Vanderbilt Medical Center confirms that Joe Mack died Monday evening after he was severely burned during an explosion at an East Knox County trucking company.
Mack, who was a mechanic at R+L Carriers, died about 5 p.m. Central Time at the Vanderbilt Burn Center in Nashville.
PREVIOUS STORY: A mechanic was severely burned early Monday morning during an explosion early at an East Knox County trucking company.
The Knox County Sheriff's Office said the incident occurred around 2 a.m. in the mechanical shop at R+L Carriers on North National Drive.
KCSO's Arson Investigation Unit said the explosion and fire that burned Joe Mack, 43, appears to be accidental.
Mack was taken to the Vanderbilt Burn Center in Nashville.
Investigators said the explosion and fire also destroyed a semi-truck and work truck. Crews were able to get the fire under control around 3:30 a.m. Monday. Nine Rural Metro Emergency trucks responded to the scene.
"The Arson Investigation Unit of the Knox County Sheriff’s Office says the explosion and fire at an East Knox County trucking company appears to be accidental. The incident occurred around 2 a.m. at R+L Carriers at 5004 North National Drive. A mechanic was severely burned and taken to the Vanderbilt Burn Center in Nashville. He is identified as 43 year old Joe Mack of Knoxville. The explosion and fire happened in the mechanical shop and destroyed a semi-truck and a work truck. The investigation is continuing."
Explosions in mechanic shops typically occur due to leaking fuel tanks or exploding tires or air compressor tanks. Sometimes batteries explode if they are overcharged.