VALDOSTA —
What started as just another day for two Lowndes County residents ended with their vehicle engulfed in flames.
The two women were traveling to Wal-Mart Wednesday afternoon around 1:30 p.m. to pick up some gas treatment for their struggling minivan, a 2002 Pontiac Montana.
Geraldine Tustin, the driver of the vehicle, said she had been having car troubles the last couple of weeks and had just purchased $20 in gasoline before she continued having difficulties.
“The car wouldn’t go over 20 mph and it sounded like the tires were flat,” Tustin explained.
They pulled the car over near the intersection of West Savannah and St. Augustine Roads as they waited for assistance.
They were soon notified by a passing vehicle that their car was smoking. Tustin and her granddaughter, Brittney Nelson, left the vehicle and waited.
A couple minutes later, the car was suddenly engulfed in flames. Valdosta Fire Department arrived on the scene to douse the vehicle, with only a charred shell remaining. Burnt rubber and smoke hung around the area for about half an hour after the flames were extinguished. The carhorn continued a long drawn-out honk long after the car was safe.
Father and son duo Joey Poston Sr., and Joe Poston Jr., were hauling a load of hay when they were stopped by the fire truck on St. Augustine.
“We could feel the heat from our truck about 300 feet away,” Poston Sr. said. “It was engulfed in flames and looked like a bomb had gone off. I had an extinguisher but it wouldn’t have done any good.”
After the flames had subsided, Tustin’s daughter, the owner of the vehicle came to meet with the two women. Their eyes were full of tears and they embraced each other at length. They were understandably frustrated about the loss of their vehicle, but were ecstatic that no one was injured.
Valdosta Fire Department Battalion Chief Mike Miller said the fire marshal’s report had not been completed yet, but there wasn’t anything suspicious about the incident. He said the two women did the right thing by leaving the vehicle.
“Anytime you see or smell smoke or anything out of the ordinary, you should get out of the car,” said Miller. “The explosions are more Hollywood stuff, but actually the struts that hold the car together are known to get real hot and sometimes they’ve been known to pop out.”
Poston Jr. said he was just glad to see that no one was injured Wednesday afternoon.
“It’s better to have a damaged vehicle than be in the hospital burnt up,” he said. “At least you’re all right, you know? I still feel bad for them but stuff like that happens sometimes.”
Local News
Related Photos
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DAVID RODOCK | THE VALDOSTA DAILY TIMES Valdosta Fire Department firefighters race to cut off the car’s horn after the flames had been extinguished from the 2002 Pontiac minivan on Wednesday afternoon.
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DAVID RODOCK | THE VALDOSTA DAILY TIMES Valdosta Police and Fire Department officials stand over the burnt remains of a 2002 Pontiac Montana minivan that was engulfed in flames after engine troubles near the intersection of North St. Augustine Road and West Savannah Road.
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DAVID RODOCK | THE VALDOSTA DAILY TIMES A look at the melted dashboard and interior of the 2002 Pontiac Montana that caught fire early Wednesday afternoon near St. Augustine Road.
Discussion
Flames engulf minivan
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