Man Tries To Blow Up Lynn Gas Station With Cigarette Lighter

LYNN (CBS) – A man armed with a lighter tried to blow up a Lynn gas station as it was being filled up by a tanker truck.

The owner, Nasir Haider, says it was the ultimate close call. The man was drunk at the time, and tried to throw the lighter into the storage tank.

"It would have been a huge disaster you know," says Nasir who grabbed the man's arm and pushed him away. He called police, who arrested 46-year-old Derrick Hall of Lynn, charging him with attempted arson.

Nasir says the incident left him shaken, but says the fuel truck driver was even more upset. That's because he had just pumped 9,000 gallons of fuel into the tank.

Nasir still doesn't know why Hall allegedly tried to blow up his gas station, but he has no doubt that he prevented a disaster.