Explosion that caused fatal car crash caused by home made 'meth lab'

A driver was killed after an explosion in his car as he attempted to make the drug crystal meth.

Clifford Ellison, 36, was hit in the neck by flying shards of glass causing a fatal wound.

Police said a bottle he was using to make the illegal drug exploded as he mixed the highly combustible chemicals.

His body was found in his overturned car after it ran off the road in Lakeland, Florida when he lost control after being fatally injured.

Eye witnesses reported seeing some 'sort of commotion' inside the vehicle shortly before it crashed.

A passenger in the vehicle, Jerek L. Evans, 26, escaped unharmed and was seen by other motorists fleeing on foot from the scene

Investigators said evidence at the scene led them to believe 36 year old Ellison was attempting to make a batch of crystal methamphetamine in a method known as 'shake and bake.'



Also referred to as 'one pot,' this method of methamphetamine production is preferred by some users because it is simpler and less cumbersome than the typical meth lab set-up.

It only requires a handful of ingredients that are mixed together in a bottle.


Crystal methamphetamine, also known as 'Ice' is highly addictive (AP Photo/Tim Wright)

But authorities say the new method of creating meth remains just as dangerous as the old, as it can create an explosion if there is too much oxygen in the bottle.

Police believe Ellison misjudged the quantities of the chemicals he was using causing the explosion as he drove along in his car.

An autopsy will determine Ellison's precise cause of death.

Detectives are still looking for his passenger, Mr Evans.