Car explosion shakes up Christmas

ROCKVILLE, Ind. (WTHI) - It was anything but a silent night for one block in Rockville.

A family on College Street was playing board games, when the windows rattled and they heard a loud bang!

That's when they called police. When they arrived on the scene, Police found a 1990 Chrysler that had been charred on the inside.

The intense heat from the blast melted parts of the car's interior.

The three people in the car, including two teenage girls were severely burned.

"They had severe burns on their hands and were starting to be severe. Noticed blisters. I asked them what happened and they said that there was a propane tank in the back of their vehicle," Jon Van Hook of the Rockville Police said.

The driver, Justin Ricketts of Bloomingdale told police he had been smoking a cigarette when a propane tank he was carrying in the back seat leaked. The fumes were ignited and the tank exploded.

Ricketts was taken to an area hospital and eventually transported to Wishard hospital in Indianapolis, while the girls were taken to Riley Hospital for Children.

Police are investigating their story and will work with a fire marshal to figure the logistics of the driver's story.

"So we're investigating why there is propane in the back seat. If it was or wasn't leaking and how it all came about," Van Hook said.

At last check., Ricketts was listed in stable condition.  The names of the two girls have not yet been released.