An East Haven man is in the hospital after he was severely burned in a car fire at the Hess Station on Frontage Road in East Haven, according to city fire officials.
Witnesses said the Mitsubishi Gallant was already on fire when it pulled into the gas station and slammed into a pole between two gas pumps.
The cause of the fire is unknown. Fire officials at the scene said a full propane tank was pulled from the car as evidence, along with a gas can and a lighter.
East Haven Fire Chief Doug Jackson said the man was seriously injured, with extensive burns all over his body. He was taken to Yale-New Haven Hospital for treatment and transferred to the Bridgeport Hospital Burn Unit.
"A police officer that was here on an unrelated issue had tried to extinguish him with a fire extinguisher because his clothes were on fire as well," Jackson said. "Some people on scene were trying to assist him."
Jackson said the driver was the only person in the car. He has not been identified.
According to Jackson, the gas station's fire extinguishing system didn't activate, and the roof of the gas station is charred from the smoke.
Local
The State Fire Marshal is assisting with the investigation. The Mitsubishi has been towed to the East Haven Police Department.
