MELBOURNE, Fla. — An SUV crashed into a Phantom Fireworks store, causing a fire to erupt and engulf the store. According to the Florida Highway Patrol, the driver of the SUV that crashed into the building died.
It happened Monday evening at the Phantom Fireworks located on W. New Haven Avenue in Melbourne. According to Brevard County Fire Rescue, callers told dispatchers an SUV had ignited the interior of the store after crashing into it.
When first responders arrived, they reported seeing "heavy and rapidly deteriorating fire conditions with heavy involvement of the fireworks" that were inside the store. Firefighters from multiple stations in the area battled to bring the fire under control.
Video posted by Brevard County Fire Rescue shows flames and smoke billowing out of the building and you can hear fireworks going off during the blaze.
Another video of the fire, posted by Candy Tout Tanner on Facebook, shows fireworks exploding in front of the store following the crash as billowing smoke rises above. Tanner reported that a red SUV ran into the store.
FHP reported a 53-year-old man in an SUV rear-ended a pickup truck in the intersection of S John Rodes Boulevard and W New Haven Avenue and kept going through the intersection until he crashed into a window of the Phantom Fireworks.
The report said the fireworks inside the building soon began to ignite.
Video posted by Alyssa Peterson on Facebook appears to show the first few moments after the crash happened. It only took moments before the boom of fireworks echoed through the air followed quickly by smoke and flames.
No other reports of injuries have been made. And, FHP said the driver of the pickup truck wasn't hurt and stayed at the scene. The crash is still under investigation.