An 18-year-old New York man has discovered what happens when fatigue goes wrong. The driver attempted to do one in the gas station parking lot, but he lost control of the car, hit the pump, knocked it over, and started a fire before fleeing the scene. The accident happened on Sunday around 5am
The gas station security camera captured the whole incident. The driver was behind the wheel of a Mercury Grand Marquis in front of the station entrance when he started to run out of steam. The video shows smoke billowing from the rear tires before the driver takes off, turning towards a gas station.
The car has little chance of avoiding the pump. The rear end of the Mercury slides out, perfectly lining up the front end of the car between the awning supports. The car wasn’t going that fast when it hit the pump, knocking it over. Video shows flames erupting from the ground as the driver reverses the car and flees the scene.
The police arrived at the business to find a small fire. A witness provided part of the license plate number to the Gates Police Department, and the video allowed officers to identify the make and model of the car. This info helps direct officers to suspects, finding Mercury with front-end crashes. The suspect admitted to the accident, confirming to police that he attempted to set fire to the parking lot. Police did not report that the driver was injured in the accident.
The man was arrested and charged with felony 4th degree and leaving the scene of a motor vehicle accident. Police issued performance tickets for the man to appear in court at a later date. Suspects can receive up to one year in prison plus pay fines and restitution.
Fatigue and other vehicle antics should still be relegated to the race track and other designated areas. This accident could have been much worse if the driver was unable to get the car out of the fire.
