‘Something out of Hollywood’: Car explodes into flames on Texas highway

Car explodes in flames on Texas highway

A car burst into flames along a highway in Southlake, Texas, as seen in a viral video posted on April 25. (Credit: Stephen Daniel Patiño via Storyful)

TEXAS - A car burst into flames along a highway in North Texas on Sunday.

The explosion, which occurred on Highway 114 near White Chapel Boulevard in Southlake, was captured on camera by Stephen Daniel Patiño. He was traveling in the passenger seat of a car going the opposite direction on the highway.

"Just witnessed a car explosion on 114 in Southlake. Please please please hope no one was hurt," Patiño wrote on social media.

Patiño told FOX Television Stations that he was driving with his family when his mom pointed out the smoke.

"I thought it was a grass fire, and I decided to pull out my phone to record. As we got closer, we saw it was actually a car with the trunk on fire," he said.

He described the experience as "surreal" and "jaw-dropping" once the explosion went off, creating a massive fireball on the roadside.

"I was just in absolute shock when exploded and how huge the blast was. It felt like watching an action movie in real time. I went from shocked adrenaline to horror thinking if anybody was in the car or if any of the other drivers within the car’s proximity were harmed from the blast," he added.

The Southlake Department of Public Safety asked drivers to avoid the area while responding firefighters worked to put out the flames.

DPS said that the incident was a vehicle and grass fire and no injuries were reported as a result of the explosion.

"While this does look like a freak deal, if you ever see your car smoking, go ahead and safely pull over and get out and get away from the car and give us a call. We have no problem heading your way to make sure you’re safe," DPS wrote of the incident on Facebook. "This video does look like something out of Hollywood, but things go wrong some time. Err on the side of caution. We like you and want you to be around awhile."

DPS aid that the owner of the car did "everything right" and called police early enough to prevent more damage and more fire.