Car explosion in Brevard County prompts neighborhood evacuation

ROCKLEDGE, Fla. — Some homes were evacuated Wednesday in Rockledge after reports of a suspicious package inside a vehicle, the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office confirmed. Residents have since been allowed to return to their homes.

The suspicious package was reported around 9:42 a.m. at Marlin Place and Groves Drive at the Marlin Manor subdivision. The caller told investigators they heard an explosion, and when Rockledge police showed up, they found damage to the vehicle. It's unclear what led up to the explosion.

"You remember the Challenger when it blew up? That's what it sounded like,' said Edward Smith Jr.

The 1998 Lincoln Town Car that was damaged belonged to Smith.

"I take very good care of it. So there's nothing wrong with the car," Smith said.

The Brevard County Sheriff’s Office bomb squad was called into investigate. The car was removed from the neighborhood, so authorities can figure out if a device caused the explosion or if it was some type of mechanical error, police said.

"I heard it this morning. It just sounded like when the rockets go off, that sonic boom," said a neighbor.

Cox Media Group