Teen burned after driving with bucket of gasoline and starting car fire

GILLETTE (WNE) — An 18-year-old man was treated for apparent burns after trying to put out a fire that started in his friend's car after they had driven to Northwest Park with a bucket of gasoline to start a bonfire.

Police responded to the park just after midnight Wednesday morning and found the man in pain with obvious burns, Police Deputy Chief Brent Wasson said.

The investigation found that a 17-year-old boy had driven several friends — the 18-year-old, a 20-year-old woman and two other 17-year-olds — to the park for a bonfire. The man who was injured held a bucket with about a gallon of gas between his feet during the drive, and some of it splashed inside of the 1998 Ford Mustang.

Once at the park, the driver lit the spilled gas, hoping to clear it from the seats, and the car was quickly engulfed in flames, Wasson said.

The 18-year-old tried smothering the fire with his shirt, and he and his clothing caught fire. He was taken to Campbell County Memorial Hospital with suspected second-degree burns, and the car was totaled by the fire, Wasson said.

No one has been charged and the investigation remains open.

This story was published on July 10, 2024.