Worker at Kansas racetrack killed in explosion; fire officials label death accidental

A worker at a Topeka racetrack was killed in an explosion Friday while using a blow torch to cut into a metal drum that he thought was empty but actually contained a volatile compound.

The Topeka Fire Department said the explosion happened Friday evening near a maintenance building at Heartland Motorsports, a multi-track motorsports facility eight miles south of downtown Topeka.

Investigators reported that 41-year-old Joshua Darryl Aubert was using a blow torch on a metal drum that he thought was empty. However, the drum was labeled as containing methanol, which is a highly volatile compound.

The drum exploded, and firefighters arrived to find Aubert suffering from critical injuries. He died at the scene.

Officials have listed Aubert’s death as accidental.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

This story was originally published June 9, 2019 at 11:20 AM.