May 6, 2004 -- A vintage-car buff died next to his beloved 1952 Jaguar after his garage caught fire, Long Island officials said yesterday.
The 37-year-old victim was found beside the Jag - with its vanity plates 52JAG4US - after Merrick, L.I., firefighters got a frantic call from a neighbor and rushed into the burning two-car garage.
"His death appears to be accidental," said Merrick Fire Department spokesman Alan Lapp. "He may have been caught by the debris. He was found next to the car. He may have been overcome by smoke." A tenant on the second floor of the home heard screaming, saw the garage was on fire and called 911.
He said rescuers had to lift up the front of the burned car to pull the victim out.
Lapp said several other vintage cars, covered with tarpaulins, were outside the garage, including a yellow 1976 Triumph. They were not damaged.
The victim was not immediately identified.
The Jag was featured in last year's Bridgehampton Road Rally, a 100-mile event that commemorates the town's road-racing history.
