North Platte Police are investigating after a North Platte man was seriously injured by a homemade explosive device.

At around 1:06 a.m., on September 15, an officer with the North Platte Police Department responded to the emergency room at Great Plains Health where a 24-year-old man was being treated for a hand injury.

According to police, it was reported that the victim was a passenger in a vehicle that was driving near the intersection of Philip Avenue and Newberry Access when the driver allegedly lit an explosive, described as a pipe bomb,  handed it to the victim and told him to throw it out the window of the vehicle.

Police say the victim stated that, before he could react to the situation, the explosive detonated in his hand.

The driver of the vehicle allegedly transported the victim to Great Plains Health, then fled the scene.

The victim was able to provide police with a description of the vehicle and told officers that a third person had been in the back seat at the time of the incident.  He also reported that the explosion caused damage to the vehicle’s windshield and other areas.

Police eventually located the vehicle, unoccupied, and had it towed to a secure facility.

The case remains under investigation and no arrests have been reported.

The current status of the victim is unknown, but officers say he was conscious and able to answer their questions when they last spoke to him.