SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — An explosion that went off under the car of a candidate for the Utah House of Representatives was caused by a vehicular malfunction and not an explosive device, police said.
Democrat Robert Burch told police the small explosion happened a s the car was backed out of his family’s driveway in the Salt Lake City suburb of West Valley City earlier this month.
Burch told police he may have been targeted because of his run for a seat in Utah House District 30. Burch, who is African-American, said he didn’t think he was being targeted because of his race, according to the police report.
The explosion was the result of a “catastrophic failure” of the car’s air conditioning system, West Valley City police said Tuesday.
“We are grateful for the swift action of law enforcement and their concern for our safety, and the safety of our community.” Burch said in a statement Tuesday.
Burch had said he and his wife found what appeared to be an explosive device underneath the car.
The couple reported the explosion to the police after speaking with a mechanic and the car’s dealership to ensure the foreign object was not part of the exhaust system.
