Child saved from car fire

UPDATED 9.50am: A Tauranga man will be thanking his lucky stars today after police pulled him over last night when they saw his new car on fire.

The fire was in the engine bay of the recently purchased Subaru Legacy, says Greerton station officer Bill Rackham.


A Tauranga man and his child had a lucky escape following a car fire on Thursday night. Photos: Hemi Murray

'It was quite a lucky scenario for the owner of that car, he had just purchased the car apparently,” says Bill.

The man was driving near the Welcome Bay roundabout and police were travelling in the opposite direction when they noticed flames coming from the engine bay, and pulled the driver over to tell him the car was on fire.

'The driver and his young son, a toddler about 18-months-two years old were in the vehicle. 'So it was quite a lucky thing really that the cops had seen him and pulled him over.”

The man paid cash for the car and had owned it about 24 hours.

The vehicle's former owner who didn't want to be named, says the driver had to smash a window to get his son out of the vehicle becasue the locks wouldn't work.

The casue is a mystery. He says about $10,000 worth of recepts for recent work on the vehicle were in the glove box.

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1 comment

Thank goodness....

Posted on 02-08-2016 19:27 | By GreertonBoy

the father and child are safe. Kudos to the cops.... What I am wondering tho.. is how come someone would not know their car was on fire? Surely there would have been a burning smell inside the car? I would have thought by the time the engine bay was in flames, smoke/smell/flames/reducing performance would be a clue to the driver that something was 'not quite right' and may have needed investigating? Which brings me to something I often say... driving isn't the stuff that happens on your way to where you are going.... driving is paying attention. Attention to what is happening in front on the road (yes, you must LOOK out the windshield AT the road ahead... Look in mirrors. Watch out for other road users, anticipate moronic actions by others and be aware of how/what your car is doing at all times. Lucky people this time:)


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