Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Mobile Meth Lab Explodes In SF

A mobile meth lab explosion in Sioux Falls is drawing more attention to the hazards of manufacturing drugs. Two people were burned when their one-pot meth lab burst Friday evening, starting a car on fire.

JayJay Coronado, 29, suffered chemical burns so bad he was airlifted to a burn unit in Minnesota. Kristy Wilker, 38 years old, was treated in Sioux Falls. Both face charges including possession and manufacturing of a controlled substance.

Officer Sam Clemens with the Sioux Falls Police Department says people are taking big risks when they mix chemicals for drugs, and that’s exacerbated in a car when they combine caustic chemicals in vessels like pop bottles to manufacture meth.

"It’s so mobile, and you don’t know really where somebody could be making it. They could be making it pretty much anywhere," Clemens says. "In the past, we saw those big labs, typically in more isolated areas, but they would hit other places. But with this one-pot, it could be anywhere. That’s the scary part of it."

Clemens says the volatile chemicals can explode and start fires, as they did the over the weekend. He says that’s the main danger mobile meth labs pose to the public, because people usually have to be close to the fumes or chemicals to harm their health.

Clemens says anyone who sees what looks like suspicious chemicals in a bottle should call police. He says otherwise people can suffer burns if they try to clean it up themselves.

Kealey Bultena grew up in South Dakota, where her grandparents took advantage of the state’s agriculture at nap time, tricking her into car rides to “go see cows.” Rarely did she stay awake long enough to see the livestock, but now she writes stories about the animals – and the legislature and education and much more. Kealey worked in television for four years while attending the University of South Dakota. She started interning with South Dakota Public Broadcasting in September 2010 and accepted a position with television in 2011. Now Kealey is the radio news producer stationed in Sioux Falls. As a multi-media journalist, Kealey prides herself on the diversity of the stories she tells and the impact her work has on people across the state. Kealey is always searching for new ideas. Let her know of a great story! Find her on Facebook and twitter (@KealeySDPB).