A faculty member’s car caught on fire on March 16 in the parking lot near the Dawson-Loeffler Center for Science and Mathematics.
Dexter Nelson, OCU chief of police, said campus police received a report from students that a car was on fire. Nelson said the car belonged to a faculty member who is an athletic coach.
“When we got there, we learned apparently the coach had been doing something in his car. What, I’m not sure, but he had an accident that caused a fire, and the car burnt within about 10 minutes,” Nelson said.
Nelson said the faculty member was in the car when it started burning but was able to get out. He said the fire department responded to put out the fire, and though the vehicle was totaled, nobody was injured.
“He jumped out of the car, I think his arms were probably singed, but other than that he was fine,” he said. “The fire department responded, put the car out, and it ruined some of the parking lot and completely ruined his brand-new car.”
Lexi DeLeon, psychology sophomore, said she saw the car while leaving the Henry J. Freede Wellness and Activity Center.
“I saw a greyish black smoke and ended up looking to my left and seeing the car on fire,” she said.
DeLeon said her teammate called OCUPD.
“I then ran back in to tell my coach, and she came to look at the situation. My teammate, Sarah Kate, came up to us and told us she called campus police and then we heard sirens,” she said. “Campus police and fire fighters arrived shortly and put out the fire, and they then called a tow truck, and the car was completely ruined.”
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