An illegally deposited oxygen cylinder was punctured and blew up last week in a garbage truck, hurting the driver. Special to GBN A truck driver for the Waste Pro garbage collection service suffered minor injuries while surviving a major scare on Tuesday, Jan. 24, when two explosions rocked his vehicle.

The initial explosion was caused by someone discarding a home health care oxygen cylinder in a residential trash can. When the trash was compacted, the compactor blade struck the cylinder, causing it to explode and ignite surrounding trash.

The secondary explosion was from an aerosol can that was nearby. The State Fire Marshal was investigating the case and tracking the serial numbers of the cylinder to determine ownership.

The incident occurred in the 4500 block of Chumuckla Highway in Santa Rosa County. When sheriff’s deputies arrived, they found a Waste Pro employee on the ground after being thrown approximately 10 feet due to the first explosion. The victim was transported to Sacred Heart Hospital.

The Pace Fire Department, State Fire Marshal, ATF, and the State Fire Marshal’s Office Bomb Squad responded to evaluate and investigate the incident. Chumuckla Highway was blocked for approximately 2½ hours until the scene was deemed safe. The truck was escorted to the County Landfill in Bagdad, at which time the contents were dumped into a controlled environment and inspected by ATF and the Fire Marshal’s Office. After inspecting the contents for approximately 15 minutes, investigators found the source of the explosions.

All agencies involved stressed the severe danger that created when people improperly and illegally dispose of hazardous or flammable materials in a trash bin. These items need to be disposed of properly by returning them to a hazardous materials collection site or a medical facility that will accept the empty cylinders.