First, this brainiac tried to siphon off gas from the truck, but apparently someone else had already stolen the gas from the truck.
So he decided to drill a hole in the gas tank and that’s when he caught on fire and lucky for us it was all captured on surveillance video.
The man rolls across the parking lot to try and put out the flames before his accomplice picks him up and flees.
The owner of the truck tells KSL-TV in Salt Lake, “the reason why he’s fleeing is that, if there were more gas in it than a gallon, this thing would have absolutely turned into a bomb. It’s sad because times are tough for a lot of people, but it’s not worth the $5 that he would have saved for the the injury that the guy sustained.”
“The company has had multiple catalytic converter thefts and smash and grab thefts in recent years…
“Unfortunately, given the gas prices in the valley and nationwide, we are seeing an increase in gas theft,” said Division Chief Tony Allred, Salt Lake City Fire Marshal.
He said their hazmat team drills into gas tanks in emergency situations with plenty of precautions, but it’s a bad idea for anyone else.
“Drilling into a tank is extraordinarily dangerous,” the fire marshal said.
The drill, the drill bit, or even static electricity could spark an explosion.
“It’s just extraordinarily dangerous for the person stealing the gas for a very low return,” Allred said.
The loss of the gas is the least of the company’s problems.
“Horrendous expense,” Mills said. “We have downtime with our guys, immediately. Oftentimes we don’t know what’s going on with it until we go to get in it, and now your gas is gone and it doesn’t start.”