An 18-year-old Boston-area explosion victim had "a bright future," says her family

Family and friends mourn the 18-year-old man who died in gas explosions in suburban Boston on Thursday afternoon.

A friend of the family told the Boston Globe that Leonel Rondon of Lawrence, Mass., Was with two friends in a car. Then a big brick chimney fell on the roof of the car – on the driver's side, according to the report.

Rondon was seriously injured. His friends "desperately" tried to get him out of the car, but his body was too "entwined" with bricks and metal, the Globe reported.

Rondon was finally taken to a hospital where he died later.

"The family is separated. … this family just needs to cry their son. "

– Luis Medina, longtime friend

"The family is torn apart," Luis Medina, a longtime friend, told the newspaper. "This family just needs to cry their son."

Rondon's two friends stayed in hospital, reported Boston 25, a FOX affiliate.

Moments before the incident, Rondon was excited about the new car his mother had promised him and a potential new job, the Globe reported.

"He had a job interview Sunday," Altabeira Ventura told the newspaper about his cousin. "And his mother was going to buy him a car. He was a very good boy, really humble.

Ventura, 39, also described Rondon as a "good boy" with a promising future, according to the report.

Rondon was a student at Phoenix Charter Academy, reported Boston.com, citing a statement from the school. He should be graduating this year.

"The staff and students knew him as an extrovert, light and practical learner who particularly liked science and excelled in biology and mathematics," the statement said.

The school said: "We will miss him greatly at school and at home, as well as his family, friends and loved ones."

"I woke up early thinking about Leo, I still can not believe it," wrote Shantel Polanco Baez on Facebook. "I went to bed in tears, waking up in tears."

The National Transportation Safety Board is sending a team to Massachusetts to investigate gas explosions that have also injured at least 25 people and fires in dozens of homes, according to reports.