Explanation revealed in mysterious SUV explosion on Eisenhower Expressway

[Beringia]

Last edited Tue Jun 9, 2026, 11:58 AM - Edit history (1)

Source: NBC Chicago

How did a car explode and then shutdown a major urban interstate for eight hours? NBC 5 Investigates has learned answers and new details - the story behind the story of how an SUV blew up last Thursday morning, killing the Cicero man behind the wheel.
By Chuck Goudie, Lisa Capitanini and Richard Moy •

Authorities now know what happened on the Eisenhower Expressway last Thursday, leading to a bomb squad response and shutting down the interstate for hours. It was a firework mortar that went off inside the SUV being driven by 47-year-old Jorge Vaca from west suburban Cicero. A senior law enforcement official with direct knowledge of the case told NBC Chicago the fireworks rocket was ignited inside Vaca's vehicle and shot into his chest.

It wasn't a bomb, and nobody did it to him, they said. The question is, still, why did it happen?

Heavy fireworks are supposed to be blown off in open spaces - for obvious reasons - or into the sky, well away from people. But that is not what happened inside the SUV being driven westbound on the Eisenhower Expressway.

FBI officials said only the driver was involved in the explosion, which was caused by a commercial-grade firework that ignited inside the driver compartment of the SUV. That's according to a high-ranking law enforcement official who has direct knowledge of the evidence.

Read more: https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/nbc-chicago-finds-gruesome-explanation-for-what-happened-on-the-eisenhower-expressway/3945563/

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Mystery solved

The found out what it was
Eisenhower shut down in western suburbs; bomb squad at scene after death


https://wgntv.com/western-suburbs/eisenhower-shut-down-both-ways-in-western-suburbs-person-dead/?utm_medium=referral&utm_source=nextdoor.com&utm_campaign=nextdoor_news

[niyad]

2. Glad that nobody else seems to have been injured, but what a

Last edited Tue Jun 9, 2026, 12:32 PM - Edit history (1)

nightmare.

[WestMichRad]

3. Smoking can kill ya.

Just a supposition as to a possible ignition source…

[barbtries]

4. yeah, I was thinking

possible suicide. it was so reckless to be traveling like that. but I don't know. it's bizarre.

[SergeStorms]

5. That was my guess as well.

Just a spark can ignite a quickmatch fuse. There's even videos online for how to make your own quickmatch fuses. It seems there's videos on how to do everything online now, although I wouldn't recommend many of them.

BTW, I'm a trained and registered pyrotechnician. 🎆

[BWdem4life]

6. Why "mystery solved"?

They still don't know whether it was accidental or not. And why was he traveling with it?

[Beringia]

7. They were treating it as a bomb thread by the FBI and found out it was fireworks

Eisenhower shut down in western suburbs; bomb squad at scene after death


https://wgntv.com/western-suburbs/eisenhower-shut-down-both-ways-in-western-suburbs-person-dead/?utm_medium=referral&utm_source=nextdoor.com&utm_campaign=nextdoor_news

[Hassin Bin Sober]

8. Yeah, they had the expressway closed all afternoon. My partner was stuck in the local roads traffic jam for over 2 hours

Note to self: go opposite direction and loop around - because everyone else is exiting to use local roads.


Then you have this rolling finale in Tennessee a couple days ago.

When I was a kid our local town fireworks had an explosion early in the show that blew up everything at once. I remember saying “is it he the finale already?”

?si=A7_2H4s-l8nmC2j2

[ChicagoTeamster]

9. Don't those have a wic that needs to be lit? and they come in different sizes. What size mortar was it?

[in2herbs]

10. Libby knew. Ask her. nt