By Isabella Darcy
Staff Writer
A mechanical error led to a car fire near the intersection of Pennington Rd. and North Olden Ave., just over a mile away from the College, on Feb. 9. There were no injuries or fatalities according to Glenn Tettemer, a Ewing Township police officer.
The fire started when a newly replaced car part sparked the car’s engine and ignited the blaze. The 2003 Ford pickup truck belonging to Thomas Thompson, 26, of Hamilton was totaled.
“The vehicle’s owner had been doing some mechanical work on the vehicle during his lunch break at a nearby business,” said Ewing Township fire marshall Michael Nelson. “The owner stated that he was having problems with the vehicle earlier in the day and thought it was the part he had replaced earlier.”
The fire started while Thompson was driving, according to Tettemer.
When he noticed that there was a problem, Thompson moved the vehicle from the roadway to a nearby grassy area before it was engulfed by flames.
“He got out of the vehicle, no injuries,” Tettemer said.
The blaze was first reported when a citizen called Ewing police about a smoke condition at 6:01 p.m.. Seconds later another caller reported a vehicle fire.
Police officers arrived at the scene as early as 6:03 p.m. to find the pickup truck ablaze on the grassy area.
“The first arriving engine company had arrived within four minutes from dispatch and stretched multiple 1 3/4 handlines for extinguishment,” Nelson said.
Once the fire was extinguished, a local towing company removed the vehicle from the scene.
There was no damage to the road or nearby property, and the intersection is open to traffic.
