Neighbors remember Polk County explosion victim - KCCI Des Moines

FIVE STARTS RIGHT NOW. A JOHNSTON MAN IS DEAD AFTER AN EXPLOSION AND FIRE AT HIS AUTO REPAIR WORKSHOP. IT HAPPENED AT EAST TOWN TIRE, AN AUTO IN DELAWARE TOWNSHIP IN POLK COUNTY. KCCI SENIOR REPORTER TODD MAGEL TELLS US HOW NEIGHBORS DESCRIBED THE MAN WHO DIED. STACEY AND STEVE, WE ARE JUST SOUTH OF THE EAST MIXMASTER ARE HERE IN THE METRO. ANOTHER SIGN ON THE BIG BUILDING BEHIND ME SAYS METRO MOTOR. BUT THE VICTIM, TED COSTELLO, ACTUALLY OPERATED HIS OWN REPAIR BUSINESS JUST IN THE BACK OF THE BUILDING. IT’S CALLED EAST HOME TIRE, AN AUTO. AND THAT’S WHERE THE EXPLOSION HAPPENED. THE VIEW FROM THE BACK OF THE BUILDING SHOWS THE AFTERMATH OF THE EXPLOSION. THE FORCE OF THE BLAST BLEW OUT THE CONCRETE BLOCK WALLS AND BROUGHT DOWN THE ROOF. YOU COULD SEE A PICKUP TRUCK ON A LIFT IN WHAT’S LEFT OF THE GARAGE. THIS IS WHERE 55 YEAR OLD TAD COSTELLO WAS WORKING. THE POLK COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE, AS HE WAS SERIOUSLY BURNED IN THE EXPLOSION AND FIRE. COSTELLO DIED AFTER RESCUE WORKERS TOOK HIM TO THE HOSPITAL. RICK CLARK LIVES NEXT DOOR. IT’S REALLY OUT OF ORDINARY FOR SOMETHING LIKE THAT TO COME HOME TO AND SEE THE DAMAGE THAT HAS HAPPENED. CLARK WAS NOT AT HOME AT THE TIME OF THE BLAST. HE SAYS COSTELLO REPAIRED CARS FOR A LIVING AND WAS APPARENTLY WORKING ON THE TRUCK WHEN SOMETHING EXPLODED. THE GENTLEMAN HE WAS, HE’S VERY, VERY WELL-LIKED, VERY GOOD GENTLEMAN, SMART MECHANIC, SOMEWHAT KNEW HIM AND. AND THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS GO OUT TO HIM AND HIS FAMILY. NOW, POLK COUNTY FIRE INVESTIGATORS WERE ON THE SCENE TODAY, BUT SAY THEY SAY IT COULD TAKE A WHILE BEFORE THEY KNOW THE EXACT CAUSE OF THIS EXPLOSION. WE’RE LIVE IN THE METRO TOD