Quote:
Man gets finger stuck in gas tank
By Gina Kim
Tribune staff reporter
Published July 16, 2004, 5:54 AM CDT
Firefighters in north suburban Lincolnwood had to cut through the side of a car to help a man whose finger got stuck in the gas tank, officials said Friday.
The unidentified man from Aurora was in the parking lot of Lincolnwood Town Center, 3333 W. Touhy Ave., Thursday night when he stuck his finger in the tank to get some gasoline to clean gum off his shoe, said Lt. Clyde Heineman of the Lincolnwood Fire Department.
When the man, who is in his 20s, tried to pull his finger out, a flap at the opening of the tank kept locking. For about half an hour, the man and some of his friends tried various methods of getting his finger out, including lubricating it and tugging. But they eventually gave up and called emergency crews at about 9:20 p.m.
Lincolnwood firefighters used hydraulic cutters to chop through the side of the car and freed his finger by severing the gas tank with a hacksaw, Heineman said.
The man was not injured but his car had to be towed away for repairs, Heineman said.
Copyright © 2004, Chicago Tribune
