May 25--EAST HAVEN -- A young man suffered third-degree burns over most of his body in a car fire Saturday evening.
A witness said it appeared the interior of his Mitsubishi was on fire as he drove down Frontage Road and into the Hess gas station where he hit a pole next to a gas pump.
The man reportedly was on fire as he got out of the car and started running. He was was later transported to the hospital.
East Haven Fire Chief Doug Jackson, who came to the scene after the 7 p.m. incident, said there will be a full investigation "because of the serious injuries to the operator of that vehicle.
"He has critical injuries," Jackson said. "The car was heavily involved in fire and so was he."
Jackson said a police officer was in the station on an unrelated matter, investigating a fender-bender accident.
"We're trying to put it all together," Jackson said, as police interviewed witnesses. The fire chief said the driver was alone in the vehicle.
One young woman, apparently an acquaintence of the injured man, was in a car on the other side of the pump and saw the accident.
"She was right near it," Jackson said, as people arrived to comfort her.
The bumper of the damaged car was crumbled on the ground in front of the pump. The hood of the car was up and you could see the interior was burnt.
Copyright 2014 - New Haven Register, Conn.
