Tonight Show legend and classic car enthusiast Jay Leno was burned by one of his classic cars last week. Leno was working on a 113-year-old steam-powered car when he was sprayed with fuel, which ignited. According to CBS News, the incident happened at Leno’s Burbank garage, leaving him with “deep” second-degree burns on his face, hands, and chest.
Yesterday Leno’s physician, Dr. Peter Grossman, gave a press conference updating us on his condition. The comedian has multiple surgeries ahead, including skin grafts, “He has undergone one surgery so far; he did well with that surgery, he is in good spirits today.” Leno made a statement and is optimistic he’ll be up and about soon enough, “Just need a week or two to get back on my feet.” Leno’s resilience and good nature were apparent because he passed out cookies to the children also under the care of the Grossman Burn Center.
The gasoline responsible for the accident is used to heat the water in his 1909 White Model M steam-powered car. This vehicle was featured on an episode of Jay Leno’s Garage earlier this year. The Model M is a vehicle that takes a lot of prep before it can be driven. This includes managing multiple fuel sources, tanks, and heating elements.
A pilot light is located under the carriage and needs to be preheated. The preheating procedure requires a butane torch to start the pilot flame. This is where Leno was working when the incident happened.
The large Model M may be one of the most dangerous vehicles in Leno’s collection. I’ve watched the video of him prepping and driving the machine. From an engineering standpoint, this sort of alternative fuel vehicle is impressive, but having to directly start the pilot while under the car is a total no-go for me.
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[Source: Jay Leno’s Garage] [Source: CBS News] [Source: FOX 11 Los Angeles]ClownfishTV.com strives to be an apolitical, balanced and based pop culture news outlet. However, our contributors are entitled to their individual opinions. Author opinions expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of our video hosts, other site contributors, site editors, affiliates, sponsors or advertisers. This website contains affiliate links to products. We may receive a commission for purchases made through these links. We disclaim products or services we have received for review purposes, as well as sponsored posts.
