A FAMILY escaped with seconds to spare yesterday before their car became a fireball.
The Herberts were returning from their weekly food shop at about 6pm near Hautes Capelles School when smoke started filling their Peugeot through the air vents.
Within minutes, the blaze had gutted the car, melted its tyres and shattered the windows.
‘We thought it was something minor at first,’ said St Sampson’s High teacher Julie Herbert, who was driving. ‘We never expected anything like this.’
The family quickly got out of the car and fled up a nearby track.
‘It just suddenly blew up,’ said Mrs Herbert. ‘I was a bit shocked.’
Mrs Herbert’s children Jon, 18, and Alex, 12, were also in the car.
‘It was so hot,’ said Alex.
‘There were three explosions. It just kept getting bigger and bigger. We ran as fast as we could.’
Had there been young children strapped in the back, Mrs Herbert feared they could have been badly hurt.
Residents were drawn by the sound of the explosions.
Serena and Alan Tremlett said the sound was like artillery fire.
‘I’m really shocked,’ said Mrs Tremlett, 44.
‘It was a huge noise and it was only about 100 yards from our doorstep.’
Mrs Herbert bought the car in 2004 and said they had never had any problems until now.
She believed her insurance would cover the damage.
The family wanted to thank a passer-by who helped rescue a number of items even once the car had caught alight.