A 25-year-old Bolingbrook man was injured Tuesday night when his car “exploded” while in the parking lot of Naperville’s Pioneer Park.
Several residents in the area of Washington Street and Olympus Drive contacted Naperville police about 9:30 p.m. to report the loud explosion, according to a police department news release. The man hurt in the incident also called police about the same time as officers arrived at the 1212 S. Washington St. park, the release said.
The victim was taken to a local hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries, which included cuts and burns, Naperville police Cmdr. Rick Krakow said. He remained hospitalized Wednesday afternoon, he said.
No information was provided on what might have caused the explosion, which left the car “mangled,” police said in their release. Asked if police had any idea of what might have happened, Krakow said, “The only thing I know right now is that it’s still under investigation by the Naperville Police Department.”
The vehicle was registered to a family member of the victim, Krakow said.
Police are still looking into what the victim might have been doing at the time of the explosion or why he was the park at night, he said. “We need to continue to put those pieces together,” Krakow said.
The park was closed overnight until late Wednesday morning, according to posts on the Naperville Park District Facebook page.
Anyone with information on the incident is asked to call 630-548-2955 or email Napervillecrimetips@naperville.il.us.