A car exploded on a quiet New Jersey street Monday morning, sending debris flying into nearby homes and injuring the driver — and authorities say a leaking acetylene tank in the trunk is likely to blame.
Story Snapshot
- A car exploded around 5:40 a.m. on Congressional Lane in Totowa, New Jersey, injuring the driver and damaging nearby homes.
- Authorities believe a leaking acetylene tank stored in the trunk ignited when the driver started the vehicle.
- The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and a bomb squad ruled out foul play, confirming this was not a bomb.
- The investigation remains open, and no official final cause has been released as of July 13, 2026.
Car Blows Apart in Totowa Neighborhood
At roughly 5:40 a.m. on Monday, July 13, 2026, a car exploded on Congressional Lane in Totowa, New Jersey, inside a residential townhome community called Hickory Hill Estates. The blast sent debris flying across the street and into nearby homes. A 28-year-old man — the driver — was injured and taken to the hospital. Neighbors were shaken awake by the force of the blast.
One neighbor, Sheldon Blaine, described what he heard as a powerful concussive blast with no fire. That detail is unusual, but it lines up with how acetylene explosions sometimes behave. A similar incident in Holden, Massachusetts involved an acetylene tank leak that caused a serious blast with little to no fire damage — investigators later confirmed the explosion was accidental.
Acetylene Tank in the Trunk Points to a Clear Cause
First responder radio traffic captured by News12 New Jersey explicitly named acetylene as the suspected cause. Scanner audio recorded a dispatcher saying: “Possibly acetylene. Plumber started the car and it ignited.” Totowa Mayor John Coiro confirmed the driver was a plumber who had an acetylene tank stored in the trunk of his car. Officials believe the tank was leaking, and when the driver started the vehicle, the gas ignited.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and a bomb squad both responded to the scene. They ruled out a bomb as the cause. That finding narrows the likely explanation to a hazardous gas ignition — exactly what the scanner audio and the mayor’s statement described. Investigators are still working to confirm the exact sequence of events, but the acetylene theory is the leading explanation.
This Kind of Accident Has Happened Before
Storing acetylene tanks in a vehicle is a known safety risk. Acetylene is extremely flammable, and even a small leak inside an enclosed space can build up fast. A spark from starting a car — or even pressing a key fob — can trigger an explosion. A documented incident in British Columbia showed exactly that: a service van with an oxyacetylene welding system leaked gas overnight, and a key fob spark set it off. The Totowa blast follows the same basic pattern.
ALERT: Small town in New Jersey was rocked this morning after a plumber got in his car and it exploded.
Residents in Totowa were awakened at around 5:40 AM to the sound of a car explosion.
Officials believe an acetylene tank, a highly flammable gas used for welding, was slowly… pic.twitter.com/KEOUgjnI7M
— E X X ➠A L E R T S (@ExxAlerts) July 13, 2026
Some media reports identified the driver as a welder rather than a plumber, creating a small conflict in the coverage. Both plumbers and welders commonly use acetylene tanks for cutting and brazing work, so the profession question does not change the core facts much. The investigation is ongoing. Passaic County authorities have not issued a final forensic report, and the official cause has not been formally confirmed. Residents and local officials are waiting for answers, but the early evidence points strongly in one direction.
Sources:
facebook.com, newjersey.news12.com, cbsnews.com, youtube.com
