NBC

Florida Man Loaded Propane Tanks in Car, Drove Into Building: Police

Five adults and a toddler escaped uninjured

Police in Florida say a 31-year-old man loaded propane tanks into his car and rammed it into an apartment building where his former girlfriend lived.

Fort Pierce police spokesman Ed Cunningham tells local media that five adults and a toddler escaped uninjured through a back door when Carl Philbert, who died in the crash, smashed into the building and caught fire.

Cunningham says Philbert was an immigrant from Haiti who had been staying at hotels in the area. NBC affiliate WPTV reported that he died as a result of the crash, also reporting that he had a history of domestic issues with the woman who was targeted.

The St. Lucie County Fire District said in a news release that all eight units at the apartment complex were damaged. The American Red Cross was assisting 13 adults and five children displaced by the fire.

The incident is being investigated by fire officials, police and the state fire marshal's office.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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