Truck under recall explodes in North Naples

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NORTH NAPLES, Fla.- A truck burst into flames in a North Naples driveway on Tuesday.

Brian Puig said he was inside his home eating when he heard the explosion. A neighbor that passed by said she saw flames coming out of the driver’s side window so she turned around to check it out.

The North Collier Fire District arrived within minutes and extinguished the flames but not before they heard explosions.

“We heard two explosions that came from the cab and we determined they were probably from the airbags themselves,” said Lt. Aaron Wieny with North Collier Fire. “They broke the windshield and we are now retrieving one off the top of the roof.”

Puig said he drove his truck just an hour prior to the explosion.

“He was driving this morning, he could have been killed,” said his wife Judy.

The couple said their 2013 Dodge Ram 1500 was a part of a recall.

“I took it to Dodge once but they said the part wasn’t in,” said Puig. “Then, I got this in the mail yesterday.”

It was a recall notice that said “a chafed steering wheel could cause an electrical short and/or invert the driver airbag to deployment.”

Dodge Chrysler corporate offices released a statement in regards to the truck fire saying “the potential consequences related to this recall do not involve fire or risk of the same.”

“We are truly blessed he is alive,” said Puig’s wife.

Authorities ruled the fire to be accidental, the exact cause is still under investigation.

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