First Hoverboard Fire In City Of Los Angeles
KOREATOWN (CBSLA.com) — A hoverboard burst into flames while a man was riding it in Koreatown on Wednesday - the first hoverboard fire in the city of Los Angeles.
Delvon Simmons, a production house stage manager, was headed to the post office on his $600 hoverboard when it suddenly stopped. "The wheels locked up. Next thing I knew, I was airborne," he said.
Simmons said he fell hard. "Face on the concrete. My legs are so sore. Thank goodness my hands went down first," he said. "Next thing I know. I see sparks flying, an explosion happening."
It happened near 9th street and Vermont Avenue in the afternoon just as a Los Angeles police officer was pulling someone over. The officer immediately waved down a fire truck returning from a call to put out the fire.
Simmons said: "It was pretty scary. It looked like a scene out of a movie, how many people got out of their cars was out there filming with their cameras."
He suspects a battery malfunction is to blame and has taken his son's hoverboard away as a precaution.
Simmons left the melted hoverboard with firefighters to use and warn others of the dangers. He said he does not want a refund and will stick to driving his automobile.
"For me, I'm just glad it didn't happen in my home. So forget the board. I'm glad it didn't burn my house down."
Starting Monday, hoverboards will be banned from Metrolink trains.
