OXFORD – Oxford Police have charged a 19-year-old with improperly disposing of a highly flammable material. Police said that negligence aided in creating a dangerous situation that left two youths severely burned.
Police arrested Sean M. Rose Tuesday and charged him with endangering the welfare of a child for allegedly tossing an explosive quart-sized bottle of nitro fuel into a common dumpster in an apartment complex on Chenango Street.
On Sept. 13 at around 9 p.m., two boys, ages 10 and 12, pulled the bottle from the garbage and accidentally lit themselves on fire while playing with the material.
In Rose’s statement to investigators, he said that after he threw the material away, he told some kids in the area to leave it alone. It is unknown if the children Rose talked to were the same ones injured.
The fluid solution was comprised of 25 percent “nitro fluid,” which is commonly found in radio-controlled racing cars. The fluid contained nitromethane, methanol and some non-petroleum lubricants. The substance is highly flammable and very poisonous, causing death or blindness if swallowed.
Fire investigators said the boys were filling the lid of the container and lighting it on fire. The solution was so flammable that even though the boys were outside, the gases traced a trail from the lid of the container back to the source container, causing it to explode.
The liquid was thrown from the area as a result of that burst and splashed on the two boys, causing severe injury. The 10-year-old was rushed by helicopter to Syracuse Hospital. The second boy was taken to Wilson in Binghamton. Later, as a precaution, he was transported to the Syracuse Medical Burn Center.
The 10-year-old boy has under gone two separate surgeries and was sedated for several days following the accident due to the extent of his injuries. Seventy percent of the youth’s body is covered in third or second degree burns, including his face neck and chest. He is scheduled to remain at the burn center in Syracuse for four to six weeks. The 12-year-old boy remained at the facility for a few days and is now home recovering from third degree burns to his legs and face.
“Doctors have actually reported that the boy (10-year-old) is doing better than they expected and he is recovering well,” said Oxford Police Chief Richard Nolan.
Oxford Police have been working with the District Attorney’s Office and after investigating the incident over the past few weeks decided to charge Rose. The department took over 16 statements from witnesses and interviewed the victims, Nolan said.