Officials: Man remains hospitalized after suspected fireworks blast in truck

JOHNSON COUNTY, Kan. - You expect to hear the boom of fireworks this time of year, but Jason Winbolt heard something different around 9:30 p.m. on Tuesday.

"It seemed larger than a firework, and it also shook our house," he said.

When he ran outside to see what caused the commotion, he found a demolished truck at 197th and Lone Elm Road near Spring Hill, Kan.

"It looked like it had exploded inside the vehicle and created a dome inside the cab," Winbolt said.

Two men were inside the truck and injured by the blast. Authorities believe they were lighting fireworks inside the cab of the truck.

The driver, 20-year-old Taylor Wiggin, was treated and released from the hospital Wednesday.

A woman living nearby said the passenger, 20-year-old Travis Miller, was in worse shape. She said his hand was nearly blown off. He remains in the University of Kansas Hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries.

Winbolt is the father of two young children and said the incident is a reminder of the danger that comes with the fun of fireworks.

"It's something to learn from," he said.