Man Bursts Into Flames After Accidentally Drinking Gasoline, Lighting Cigarette

February 29, 2012 8:17 AM

File photo of a hospital. (credit: Patrick Smith/Getty Images)

Filed under

News

HAVELOCK, N.C. (AP) — A North Carolina man is dead after police say he accidentally drank from a jar of gasoline and then smoked a cigarette.

Havelock police received a 911 call about 9:55 p.m. Monday after 43-year-old Gary Allen Banning set himself on fire. Banning was transported to UNC Burn Center in Chapel Hill, where he died early Tuesday morning.

City spokeswoman Diane Miller said investigators believe Banning was at a friend’s apartment when he apparently mistook a jar of gasoline sitting by the kitchen sink for a beverage. After taking a gulp, he spit the gas out and got some on his clothes.

Sometime later, investigators say Banning went outside to smoke a cigarette and burst into flames.

Havelock police and the city fire marshal are continuing their investigation into the accident.

Man Bursts Into Flames After Accidentally Drinking Gasoline, Lighting Cigarette

K allen

Impossible
Bubba Johnson

He mistook the jar of gasoline for the jar of benzene.
tnmccoy

How does anyone so stupid actually make it to 43?

Coco

sheer luck
george

He surely spent his childhood in the public schools. That gave him a head start.
msksan

Government support.

maxbll

BS. You can smell gas from a mile away. Real Story. The alcohlics were just drinking gas bombers.

Cheryl

There are people who cannot smell. It is called anosmia. Alternatively, he may have been congested and therefore, had no perception of odor. There are always more facts to a story that don’t make it into the news.
This is a tragedy whatever happened. I try not to be so jaded that I miss the part where someone died; however, it happened.

maryJo

you are a misguided tree hugging super sensitive love everything softie who would hug a taliban before he cuts off your head pelosi loving lib
Cheryl

maryjo: I am actually a very conservative Republican who cast my first presidential vote for Ronald Reagan when I was 18, could not find anything about Pelosi that I agree with if my life depended on it and former military w/ many awards including several awarded for combat action. Hardly a softie. Don’t know about tree hugging – I’ve never hugged a tree.
I am, however, knowledgable enough to know that just as some people cannot see, others cannot smell. It is just a disability – not a sign of stupidity.
And, even if a person dies doing something stupid – they are no less dead.
The Clintidote

It’s definitely NOT a “tragedy” when somebody that stupid offs themself. It’s a societal benefit.
Cab Face McGee

Cheryl FTW…MaryJo just got PWND!!
YeahSure

It’s just more made up news since unelected officials took over Washington and the media following the coup d’etat.

Our next election is shaping up to be as big of a sham as the last. Do you know why Sarah Palin’s bus tour was really canceled? Do you know why she stayed 30 miles away from the second debate and chose the death of Steve Jobs to announce that she’s not running? Know what leaked out? Sarah Palin and Cain aren’t in the race for the same reason, the truth leaked out.
http://PalinsDirtyLittleSecret.blogspot.com
Pete

You must be a liberal, makeing up excuses for stupid peoples actions. (maybe it was Bush’s fault)
Steven Seagal

People like maryJo and Pete are what’s wrong with our country – idiots who think politics is some kind of football match between the R’s and the D’s and try to bend every news item to fit their warped view of the ‘enemy’. I guess that’s why we end up with candidates like Mitt Romney instead of someone with scruples.

Thanks for ruining our country, morons!
Voice of Reason

I cannot believe that we live in a society that as you mentioned so jaded or in my words cruel that they can’t understand that a person died a horrible death. If you say anything that conveys any sensitivity you are some how now a liberal pelosi loving slug. I think quite the opposite is true. They should really look in the mirror to see where the real stupidity lies.
Hilllbillies suuck

Pete, are you illiterate or just reetaarded? Typical inbred, illiterate, mouthbreathing, uneducated, SOuthern hill billy jesus freeak teabaager
Craig Adams

Appreciate your response. The immediate reaction is to see this as comedy but the reality is that someone died. I would be willing to guess you are a Christian based on the grace of your response.
Danyalle

Well said.

Ben

That is more believable maxbll

James D

They really need to put a warning label on these things. I mean, this could happen to anyone!

UpChuck.Liberals

At the rate we’re going, we won’t have any gas. But then our Dear Leaders will be ‘concerned’ about us electrocuting ourselves recharging our electric cars.
george

Or just ban the stuff. Who needs gasoline?
Scott

They could just tack an additional warning onto the cigarette package.

Warning..smoking cigarettes within 30 minutes of drinking gasoline may be hazardous to your health.

bob

who simply picks up some stray glass and guzzles from it?

Davo

Who has a jar of gas just sitting on the kitchen counter?

Hank

My thoughts exactly…..
Strawman

x3!
zombierocket

Who in the world then smokes a cigarette after guzzling gasoline?
perfesser

Maybe he thought it was shine …

Coco

I’ve seen a few girls pick up a spit cup and accidentally take a swig, then they would explode…….explode with projectile vomiting
richhenk

I watched my buddy pick up a glass of Everclear thinking it was water and took a big ol gulp b4 realizing what he had. It happens.

Mark

Who stores gasoline in a jar by the kitchen sink.
CycloneOz

If all else fails, immortality can always be assured by spectacular error.
Davo

Who drinks gas and doesn’t go straight to the ER? I mean that stuff not really good for your inards, even if you don’t light it.
CycloneOz

This guy has given people who keep open jars of gas around the house a bad name.

Damn shame, too, as I have a friend who keeps open jars of gas all around his house. I just forwarded this story to him.

DSS

Does he live in Havlock?

dee

Who leaves GASOLINE in a jar on the Kitchen Counter??????????

Ronda

Actually, when I was five I accidently drank kerosene. My idiot father left it on the kitchen counter in a paper McDonald’s cup. I got up in the middle of the night and saw it and drank it. Of course, I vomited violently for hours and my parents took me to the ER. I’m still not sure why my Dad put the extra kerosene in the house. We lived in a trailer so we used it for heating.

Davo

Was the Man from Nigeria? Every few years you hear about a gas pipeline leak in Nigeria and the locals come out and start collecting the the gasoline and one of them lights up a smoke and blamo!
Dave

Probably premium gas . .so stupid. . .too darn flammable. I always drink regular to avoid this problem.

Mark

Actually premium gas is LESS explosive than regular gas. It’s to prevent pre-ignitioin (spark knock) in high compression (high power) engines. Just thought I’d throw that in…I know you will look it up anyway…:)

jbspry

Considering that gasoline has just about reached price parity with Jack Daniels it’s a wonder they weren’t drinking the good stuff.

george

As one who frankly hates the taste of all the “hard stuff,” I suppose it’s possible that the guy THOUGHT he was tasting Jack Daniels.

jbspry

On his tombstone:

“HERE LIES GARY ALLEN BANNING
BORN 1968
DIED 2012
(10% ETHANOL BY VOLUME)

peter rabbit

You owe me a new keyboard, mine is soaked in coffee!……LMAO….
Best comment of the week!

Trudge1

Calling BS on this one. Just another projection of what the cops think about the citizen.
He was at his ‘friends’ house.
He went ‘outside’ to smoke a cigarette.
Some friend huh. Drink until we are squinting but go outside for a cig.
Ever seen an old geezer mech smoking a nub with ashes falling off in the parts pan of gasoline. All the time.
The gasoline had to have been still on his hands and more recent than ‘some time later’.
TxSon

My only hesitation for a Darwin award is his age. He has probably already passed on the idiot gene.
Racklefratz

Somebody beat me to it. Darwin was right. But who doesn’t keep a jar or two of gasoline at convenient places in the house anymore? I mean, c’mon…..Darwin was sooooo right.
Michelle Obama

I’ll have no more of this. From now on no one can have any gasoline. It’s for your own good.

george

Well, Michelle, I feel sorry for all those kindergarten kids who like to bring jars of gasoline in their lunch boxes. What will their mothers say? Of course, those among the students who sneak into the alley for a smoke during afternoon recess will have reason to feel grateful.

Robert

Wow… not one compassionate comment. Because he made a mistake, he not only deserved to die, but to be mocked. Was he really any less valuable than any of us?

Sorry… I think we’ve just gotten too jaded and mean as a society.

Strawman

WWJD?

I think He would smacked his forehead like the rest of us.

Robert

I don’t think so…

‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

Turban

Well he may not have been less valuable than you, Robert, but that’s your problem and his problem.
The Clintidote

Nonsense. His whole destiny and purpose in life was to give us all a laugh today.

Greg

May he rest in peace. We all do really stupid things(remember high school). Just imagine the excrutiating pain he must have been in. Have some sympathy at least during this Lenten season.

Huffer

Personally I gave up drinking gasoline for lent

Sarah

You’ve got to be pretty stupid to do something like this, especially with the very strong and distinctive smell that gasoline has. Once he got it within an inch or two of his nose, he’d have to know it wasn’t a beverage. That guy was operating with more than a few bricks short of a full load.