If your car catches on fire, chances are you’d want to put as much distance as you could between you and the fire as quickly as possible. But not one particular Florida man, who decided this is fine and kept driving until flames engulfed the car, according to WESH. Even worse, his wife was along for the flame-broiled ride.
WFLA reports that a witness saw smoke coming out from under a vehicle as it pulled over. The witness stopped to help, but the car drove off, and flames started to appear. The car stopped again, then inexplicably drove away a second time while still burning. This is the precise opposite of how you should handle a car fire. Eventually, the burning car came to a stop, presumably only after it simply wouldn’t keep running.
The driver, Patrick Rinaldi, escaped the burning car, and reportedly just barely managed to get his wife out. We don’t know if either of them were hurt in the fire, which also ignited a brush fire. Brevard County Fire Rescue was already battling this when the sheriff’s office arrived on the scene.
Alcohol may have been a factor
The Brevard County Sheriff’s Office began its investigation, starting with Rinaldi allegedly smelling of alcohol. In a fine example of quality police work, deputies determined a potential reason for the driver’s failure to stop when his car was literally on fire.
He said he only had one beer earlier however a bottle of liquor was located on the floorboard of the car, which in our line of work is called a clue!!
Rinaldi reportedly failed a field sobriety test, then refused to take a breathalyzer test. This has some pretty serious consequences in Florida.
As a result of his actions Rinaldi was charged with DUI and Refusal to Submit and subsequently took a ride in our Courtesy Shuttle to Ivey’s Iron Bar Lodge where he got immediate occupancy!! He also got a fairly new pair of shower slides, a one size fits all pair of striped pajamas, an all inclusive pass to the communal showers, and of course reservations in our one star rated dining hall!!
Under a recently enacted law, Refusal to Submit means up to 60 days in jail and a potential $500 fine, assuming this is his first offense. It also means a mandatory 12-month license suspension, regardless of whether he’s convicted of a DUI or not. Either way, it looks like Rinaldi may be off the streets for a while, and not just because he tried to drive a rolling fireball. Remember, only you can prevent wildfires.
