An SUV burst into flames on a New York highway when an electrical problem caused fireworks in the trunk to explode Monday night, injuring five people.
State police said the Lincoln Navigator was traveling southbound on the Thruway in Tuxedo at around 9:30 p.m. when the electrical problem ignited the fireworks that were in the back.
Five people were inside and suffered serious burns. All were taken to Westchester Medical Center for treatment.
See video of the burning SUV in the player above.
Only the SUV was involved.
The incident is under investigation. It's not clear what caused the electrical problems.
Charges are possible against the people in the vehicle because the fireworks are illegal.
The five victims - all adults -- are from Mount Vernon.
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TUXEDO, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) — Five people were hospitalized Tuesday after a car somehow exploded and burst into flames on the New York State Thruway.
The call came in at 9:17 p.m. Monday from near the town of Tuxedo in Orange County.
The local fire chef told CBS2’s Brian Conybeare that five people were injured with serious burns. They taken to the Westchester Medical Center trauma unit in Valhalla in critical condition.
Sources told CBS2 that police are investigating the possibility that there were fireworks in the vehicle.
Roadways in the area were closed after the explosion and response by firefighters and police, but the roadway later reopened.
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Here is another case where fireworks exploded inside the SUV in NH:
Man’s sparkler triggers fireworks explosion in back of SUV
AP,
July 3, 2017
PEMBROKE, N.H. (AP) — A man igniting a sparkler in New Hampshire has accidentally set fire to fireworks he had in his SUV, causing them to explode and sending him and his family scrambling for safety.
The Pembroke Fire Department says when it responded Sunday fireworks were exploding from inside the vehicle. Firefighters say they extinguished the fire without incident.
A fire department investigation shows the owner was behind the vehicle with the hatch open when he lit a sparkler. It says sparks from the sparkler ignited the fireworks, which had just been bought at a store in Hooksett.
The owner got himself and his family away from the vehicle until the fire department arrived.
The fire department says the best way to see fireworks is to watch a professional show.