
LITTLE FERRY, New Jersey — A man whose car got stuck in the snow in a New Jersey park died when the vehicle caught fire after he repeatedly revved the engine even as police told him a tow truck was on its way.
Police were called to Losen Slote Creek Park after a public works employee spotted the disabled car on park property, Police Chief James Walters told NorthJersey.com.
When an officer arrived, the driver was revving the engine in an effort to rock it back and forth and out of the snow, Walters said.
Police say the officer told the man that a tow truck was on its way and that he should take his foot off the gas, but the man ignored him and kept revving his engine.
Soon after, the car caught fire. Officers tried to get the man out, but the doors were locked and before they could break the windows, flames and smoke had engulfed the vehicle, driving the officers back.
The man’s identity was not immediately released.