advertisement

Truck gets stuck, catches fire in Elk Grove Village

A rental truck caught fire Saturday afternoon in Elk Grove Village when the driver got it stuck in a ditch, and while attempting to get out, the truck's spinning tires ignited nearby debris, authorities said.

It all started about 1:30 p.m. when the driver of the yellow, 28-foot Penske box truck took a wrong turn down Cemetery Lane, off Arlington Heights Road near the Jane Addams Tollway. Elk Grove Village Fire Department Battalion Chief Mark Percudani said the driver's GPS took him there, near the 1830s-era Elk Grove Cemetery.

On a dead-end street and attempting to get back to Arlington Heights Road, the driver tried to turn the truck around, but got stuck. The driver spun the truck's tires, but it caught debris underneath, causing sparks and flames. The fire spread from the tires to the truck itself, Percudani said.

Once firefighters extinguished the fire, what was left of the charred truck had to be towed out of the ditch. The truck wasn't carrying anything at the time.

The driver escaped without any injuries, Percudani said.

Article Comments
Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.