OSAGE BEACH, Mo. — A meth lab in a car exploded on Sunday, leaving one man burned and another in police custody, according to the Osage Beach Police Department.
The department reported, on Sunday, Feb. 9 at around 10:42 a.m., dispatchers began receiving calls about a westbound vehicle being driven erratically along Osage Beach Parkway near Wal-Mart. The vehicle was also reportedly on fire.
According to the reports, the car—a 2004 Dodge Stratus—slammed into the guardrail, and all three occupants jumped out. The male driver was reportedly on fire and took off his t-shirt, threw it over the guardrail, and drove the vehicle into the parking lot of Dugan’s Paint Store.
Police say an explosion from a "shake and bake" meth lab is what melted this vehicle's dashboard and windshield.
Officers soon arrived and chased the man through the Wal-Mart parking lot, the department reported. He was identified as a 39-year-old Osage Beach resident. He was taken by ambulance to Lake Regional Hospital for his burns, and was later transported to Springfield for further treatment.
The other two vehicle occupants—a 20-year-old Osage Beach female and a 22-year-old male—were soon located inside Wal-Mart, police say.
Police have only released the identity of the 22-year-old man: Joshua T. Healey. Healey was taken into custody on a probation violation warrant out of Warren County; the female passenger was not taken into custody, though she and Healey were both taken to Lake Regional Hospital and treated for minor injuries.
The department also reported a 10-year-old girl was placed in the care of the Division of Family Services in connection with the incident, until a suitable family member could be found.
The Lake Area Narcotics Enforcement Unit was called to assist, and two Osage Beach residences were searched. Officials report additional drug and meth lab evidence was discovered.
