St, Petersburg teen burned after truck catches fire

ST. PETERSBURG - An 18-year-old man was burned Tuesday afternoon after his car stalled out and caught fire, officials said.

The teen, Shawn Pomeroy of St. Petersburg, told officials that his 1987 Ford Ranger stopped just after 1:30 p.m. as he was driving near 70th Ave. N and 16th St. N.

Pomeroy crawled underneath the truck and found a loose fuel line. As he tried to fix the line, the vehicle burst into flames, said Lt. Joel Granata of St. Petersburg Fire and Rescue.

Fire crews extinguished the flames within minutes and treated Pomeroy on the scene for burns. The teen signed a medical refusal form, but his parents later took him to Edward White Hospital.

The truck did not have collision insurance, Granata said, and was a total loss.