Man killed in Lewiston U-Haul explosion

A man died Saturday morning when a U-Haul he was in exploded in front of an Old Navy in Lewiston’s Nez Perce Plaza.

The victim was identified by the county coroner as Douglas R. Peterson, from Meridian.

Peterson, 61, was in the driver’s seat of the U-Haul at the time of the explosion around 7 a.m. and no other people or vehicles were injured, Carol Maurer, spokeswoman for the city of Lewiston, said.

The Lewiston police and fire departments said in a joint release that the cargo box of the truck contained both gasoline and propane tanks. A later update said that propane had been leaking in the box, though investigators could not find a source of ignition.

The explosion appeared to be accidental, the release said.

The Old Navy building, along with a nearby Courtyard Marriott, both sustained damage from the explosion. The spilled gas did not catch fire.