Man Pleads Guilty in Deadly Truck Blaze
A man pleaded guilty in Indianapolis to homicide charges for starting a fire in the back of a truck carrying a house-painting crew, turning the vehicle into an inferno that killed two men.
Prosecutors said Tommy C. McElroy flicked a lighter to ignite a splash of lacquer thinner that had been thrown toward a co-worker as a practical joke. His action ignited a fireball that left the 13 painters badly burned as the truck was traveling in rush-hour traffic.
McElroy, 27, faces up to eight years in prison when he is sentenced next month.
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