TAYLOR: Man who escapes burning vehicle admits setting fire

Published: Thursday, January 03, 2013

By David Komer
Twitter: @DavidKomer_NH

TAYLOR —  A Hamtramck resident brought in for questioning about a suspicious fire admitted to arson Thursday.

The 38-year-old man admitted to setting his Dodge Durango on fire while driving it, and then jumping out, causing a single vehicle crash at Ecorse and Telegraph roads early Nov. 11.

Witnesses saw a flash of light come from the vehicle on Telegraph, and then the man jumping out at about 4 a.m. The Durango hit the shoulder barrier underneath the Ecorse bridge and stopped.

 The driver, who stayed at the scene of the crash, suffered a minor burn and also injured his shoulder and knee, even though the vehicle was moving slowly.Originally, it was believed the fire had started in the engine compartment or in the dashboard. However, evidence of gasoline was found on the floor, which led to the man being investigated.

During questioning, the man admitted to setting the fire for the insurance money, Fire Marshal John Hager said.

“We told him we were going to finish out the investigation, then he had his son leave the room and told me that he set the fire,” Hager said. “He wanted to get out of debt, get a cheaper car and pay some bills off.”

Hager said he had the Durango owner repeat his confession to a police investigator. A foreign language interpreter was brought in the room because the man, of Middle Eastern descent, spoke broken English.

It is believed the driver used a lighter to start the fire, which ignited the vapors, not the liquid.

“It could have been a lot worse,” Hager said. “He could have killed somebody or himself.”