Green Bay: 1 dead after natural gas truck explodes

Unsecured forklift at heart of fatal decompression of truck fuel system


Investigators say an unsecured forklift caused decompression in a truck’s fuel system that killed one man and injured another in a Howard industrial park in April.

Gerald Throw Sr., 59 of Sobieski was driving the compressed natural gas-powered truck at the time of the April 3 incident. He was pronounced dead at the scene. His passenger Jose Perez, 29 of Green Bay, was thrown from the truck and was seriously injured.

The forklift shifted as the truck turned in the 2200 block of Pamperin Road. One of the forks penetrated the wall of the cargo box and truck’s fuel system — located between the cab and the cargo box — causing a decompression of the system, according to investigators.

“There was no evidence of it being restrained,” Capt. Randy Schultz of the Brown County Sheriff’s Office said Wednesday about the forklift.

While authorities believe the brakes on the forklift were on, a combination of hard rubber tires and a smooth cargo floor weren’t enough to stop the forklift from moving, Schultz said.

“The force (of the decompression) was absolutely incredible,” he said. “It blew the drive shaft off, lifted the back of the engine up off the mounts, and bent part of the frame of the vehicle. It was an amazing amount of force.”
This truck is owned by McCoy NationaLease and was leased to Ace Manufacturing Industries, located at 2325 Pamperin Road.

The unique nature of the incident has drawn interest from national organizations like National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the Clean Vehicle Education Foundation, Schultz said.