BY VINAYA SAKSENA

CENTRAL FALLS — A local man was arrested Sunday night after allegedly being found in possession of fireworks — some of which had accidentally gone off — in the vehicle in which he was riding.

According to police, 28-year-old Francis Stranko, of 38 Hedley Avenue, 1, Central Falls, was arrested on a charge of use or possession of Class C fireworks under $500 at approximately 7:47 p.m. on Sunday. No injuries were reported as a result of the unintentional fireworks display.
The arrest was made by Officer David Joseph, who reported meeting Stranko and the driver he had been traveling in the area of Hedley Avenue and Illinois Street following “a report of fireworks going off inside a vehicle.”
When Joseph arrived on the scene, he reportedly found a black 1997 Infinity vehicle parked in the middle of Hedley Avenue, with large amounts of smoke and the smell of fireworks coming from inside.
According to Joseph’s arrest report, the driver told him that fireworks had started to go off inside the vehicle while he was driving it. Firefighters reported to the scene a short time later to extinguish the car fire.
When questioned, Stranko allegedly told police he had been smoking a cigarette inside the car when fireworks near his feet suddenly began going off.
According to Joseph’s report, several residents of the neighborhood reported seeing the vehicle’s passenger throwing fireworks out of the vehicle shortly before police arrived. Several of these were found on the ground near the vehicle and seized as evidence, Joseph reported.