By Joel Currier
St. Louis Post-Dispatch (Missouri)


ST. CHARLES COUNTY - A 29-year-old man from St. Charles County was hospitalized with severe burns Wednesday after a methamphetamine explosion Tuesday night, authorities said.

The garage of a home in the 900 block of Mallory Drive exploded about 10:35 p.m., authorities said.

"We heard what we thought was a bomb going off," said Jo Ann Thomas, who lives across the street. "I saw a huge flash of light."

Sheriff's Lt. Craig McGuire said witnesses told investigators a Dodge Charger sped away from the fire, and police spotted the car heading east on Highway 364 near the Page Avenue extension bridge.

Police stopped the Charger on Highway 40 near Boone's Crossing in Chesterfield and arrested the driver, 20, of St. Charles County.

The burn victim was in the front passenger seat with what McGuire described as life-threatening injuries. The man was taken to St. John's Mercy Medical Center for treatment. His condition was not released.

Firefighters put out the fire on Mallory Drive in about 30 minutes, said Assistant Chief Steve Brown of Central County Fire and Rescue. The house is in the Red Oak Estates subdivision near St. Peters.

The blaze caused about $30,000 in damage to the garage and about $10,000 in damage to a house next door.

One of the men who was at the house "made statements implicating himself" in the production of methamphetamine, McGuire said. Authorities withheld the men's names pending criminal charges.

Neighbors said a couple live at the house with their toddler-age son. McGuire said several people were in the house when the garage exploded, but no one else was hurt.

Neighbors said the couple store paint and other chemicals in the garage for their concrete resurfacing business.

"We've always gotten along fine," said next-door neighbor Paul Faron.

Some neighbors weren't surprised to learn about the alleged meth lab because they said there were frequent visitors to the house.

Cheryl Russell said she looked outside after the explosion and saw one of the men run from the house, shut the garage door and yell, "It's under control!"

Thomas said she never suspected there might be a meth lab across the street from her house.

"This is a really quiet neighborhood, so this is just shocking," she said. "You always hope for the best with your neighbors. You just never know."


Related

• Exploding Meth Lab Rocks St. Charles Neigbhorhood

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May 21, 2009