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Driver severely burned when cigarette ignites car

By WTOP Staff

ELSMERE, Del. (AP) — Fire officials say a Delaware driver was severely burned when the lighted cigarette he threw out his car window was blown back in by the wind and ignited the interior of the vehicle.

It happened about 6:45 p.m. Sunday in Elsmere. Chief Deputy State Fire Marshall Robert Cox says in a news release that 49-year-old Travis Paul Smith of Elsmere suffered second- and third-degree burns to his lower body.

Fox says the vehicle came to rest in a ravine and several motorists stopped and pulled Smith to safety.

Fox says Smith was flown to the Crozer-Chester Medical Center in Upland, Pennsylvania.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Emergency guide: What you should do to prepare for emergencies

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