In May 2023, a 13-year-old Minnesota boy stopped at a gas station to fill up his three-wheel all-terrain vehicle. Forgetting safety nearly cost him his life.
Officials said the teen kept his ATV running while he filled up, and gas fumes ignited as he sat on the vehicle. He was hospitalized with second- and third-degree burns, but survived and was eventually discharged home.
In Texas last month, a 17-year-old girl died several weeks after being burned over 90% of her body after a man picked up a gasoline can and put gas on a fire already burning in a barrel. Police said the gas and fire traveled across the barrel, catching the girl’s clothing and hair on fire. The man, who officials say was trying to make the fire larger, was later charged with manslaughter.