FALLING PEANUT DESTROYS CAR
A hire car exploded and was engulfed by fire in Froghill town centre last Sunday afternoon.
The car, a Citröen C5 belonging to the Lease-U-Like rental company, was parked outside Veejay’s News in St Alfege Street when it was struck by a falling peanut.
The vehicle was on loan to George Chittling, owner manager of Chittling’s Balls and Brackets, whose own car was severely damaged by blancmange only a fortnight ago. Said Mr Chittling of Sunday’s events: “I had just locked the car and was making my way into the shop to buy a paper.
“I paused to look up into the sky, just as a plane was passing overhead. I stopped to watch it for a moment, wondering where it might be going.
"Then there was the sound of something moving at high speed, making a ‘Whooosh!’ sort of noise, accompanied by the smell of roasted peanuts. The next second, my car exploded.”
Appliances from the Froghill Fire Service were soon on hand to quell the blaze. Said firefighter Ted Denbigh: “We found fragments of charred peanut among the burnt-out wreckage of the car. It seems that the nut had somehow fallen from the plane observed by Mr Chittling. The friction generated by its acceleration through the air would have caused the nut to glow red hot. Upon striking Mr Chittling’s car, it pierced the fuel tank causing the vehicle to explode.”
The matter has been referred to Froghill Constabulary’s Special Nut Operations Team (SNOT) for further investigation.
Asked how he felt about losing two cars in as many weeks, Mr Chitling said: “Well obviously, I’m gutted, though I suppose I should be grateful I wasn’t hurt.
“I’ve heard of pennies from heaven,” he added, “but this is ridiculous!”
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