BRANDON, Vt. (AP) -- A car accident set a house on fire and destroyed two cars.
The fire started when Fred Palmer, 59, of Sudbury drove off the road and into a gas grill in front of the house Monday afternoon, police said. Palmer was pulled from his car, seconds before it burst into flames.
Police are still investigating what caused the crash, but said they are considering whether a medical problem led Palmer to drive off the road.
The vehicle then ignited, setting fire to the garage and an attached two-story addition to the home. Fuel from the gas grill helped feed the fire.
Vermont State Police Sgt. Charles Cacciatore said he was driving from the Middlebury barracks to his home in Hubbardton around 4:45 p.m. Monday when he came upon the crash.
``Myself and another gentleman ran over and there was somebody slumped over the wheel of the vehicle,'' Cacciatore said. ``We started pulling to get him out and the car caught fire at that time. We were able to drag him across the road with the help of another gentleman.''
Cacciatore said firefighters and rescue workers were called to the scene.
``It went pretty fast,'' he said. ``When we dragged him out into the street, it just ignited.''
Police said they believe Palmer was driving north on Route 7 when he turned left on Route 73 in the village of Brandon. He traveled west about 30 yards before crossing the center line and crashing into a gas grill about 10 feet from the road.
The sprawling home included a brick main structure and a two-story wood frame addition on the back side with an attached garage.
The addition, which included at least two apartments, remained standing but sustained ``severe damage'' in the fire, firefighters said.
No one was in the apartments at the time of the crash. However, police said two tenants were left homeless as a result of the blaze.
A Toyota Camry in the driveway parked near the garage was destroyed in the blaze. Palmer's vehicle, with its front end pushed up against the entrance of the garage, was heavily charred and also destroyed.
More than 60 firefighters from six Rutland County communities help put out the fire in about 30 minutes.
