An explosion in Peabody, Massachusetts, involving a recreational vehicle (RV) sent three family members to the hospital with serious injuries yesterday, local authorities reported. The incident, which happened around 3:30 p.m. on Walker Road, involved a grandfather, father, and son who were preparing for a family trip to the Grand Canyon when their RV exploded into a ball of flames, according to CBS Boston.
The sudden eruption was not only recorded by a nearby doorbell camera but also felt by neighboring residents. "I felt the explosion in my entire body," recalled Evan Deleidi, a witness living next door, as reported by NBC10 Boston. Peabody Fire Chief Jay Dowling detailed the swift response of firefighters who managed to contain the fire before it could spread to nearby homes. "It could have been worse. Yeah, it could have been fatalities. It also could have spread to the houses, so it was a great knock down by the firefighters," Chief Dowling conveyed to CBS Boston.
All three men suffered severe burns and were conscious and alert when transported from the scene; two were airlifted to Massachusetts General Hospital, while the younger man was taken to Lahey Hospital in Burlington. Neighbors described a chaotic scene, with one recalling how a man was seen fleeing from the inferno. "A ball of flames engulfed the vehicle and a man could be seen running, dropping to the ground and rolling," as noted by NBC10 Boston.
The impact of the explosion resonated with the Peabody community not just physically, but emotionally as well. Neighbor John O'Donnell told WHDH 7News, "They're nice people. They're my neighbors, so we all care about them." Echoing the sentiment of shock and concern, Deleidi stated to CBS Boston, "It was like a shock in my body, kind of like adrenaline. Just another level of adrenaline like I had never really felt before. I didn't freak out on the outside, I was more freaking out on the inside." The cause of the explosion is currently under investigation, and utilities crews were seen working on nearby electricity wires well into the night.
The incident left a once hopeful vacation venture in tatters, and a community rallying behind a family left to deal with the aftermath. Peabody, a town that seldom graces headlines with such jarring news, now watches as its own reckon with the unpredictability of tragedy.
