A 21-year-old woman died in a fiery car crash in Houston, Texas, after fireworks ignited in the trunk of the car.
Houston police said the victim was riding in the passenger seat of a red Chevrolet Camaro when the driver, a 20-year-old man, lost control and struck a tree at high speed Tuesday night, according to local outlet KTRK-TV.
The car split in two upon impact and “immediately” burst into flames, Sgt. Dionne Griffiths told the outlet.
The driver was able to get out of the car to scream for help as he tried pulling the woman out as well, but she remained trapped, police said.
A police officer and a witness also attempted to pull the woman from the car and tried to put the blaze out with a fire extinguisher, but the fireworks began to go off and further fueled the flames causing a “catastrophic scene,” police told NBC TV affiliate and local news station KPRC.
The woman, who has not been officially identified, was pronounced dead at the scene, and the driver was transported to a hospital.
William Young, a bystander who was pumping gas nearby at the time of the incident, told KPRC-TV that he first wondered if he was hearing gunshots.
“I started hearing explosions. I thought, is that shotgun shots? Or is it firecrackers going off? It sounded like Roman Candles,” he said.
Police said in an update on Wednesday that investigators determined intoxication was not a factor in the fatal crash.
The Houston Police Department did not immediately respond to HuffPost’s requests for comment.
Authorities say no charges have been filed at this time, and the investigation is ongoing.
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