Bystanders were able to get a family to safety after their vehicle hit a pothole and caught fire.
Police and firefighters responded to the incident, on Alma Street in Guelph, shortly after 8 p.m. Tuesday.
Shelly Morrison was aboutto leave her home to take her dog for a walk when she saw the car hit the pothole.
“When he hit it he bounced pretty good, his front end hit the bottom because it was a half foot drop by yesterday afternoon,” Morrison explainedWednesday.
The road had been damaged after a water main break last month. Morrison had emailed the city about the pothole earlier Tuesday.
It’s believed the driver didn’t realize the extent of the damage, which included visible flames coming from the car’s undercarriage. Morrison called 911 and chased after the car, yelling at the driver.
“He just looked at me very confused at first, and then he opened the door. He proceeded to lean out of his car, and then that’s when he actually saw the smoke and got out and then the flames shot out and he realized that I wasn’t pulling his leg, the car was on fire,” she said.
Firefighters were able to extinguish the car fire, but not before it left the vehicle beyond repair. The family inside got out safely, and no one was injured.
“It certainly could’ve been something bigger than what happened. Luckily there (were) pedestrians around that didn’t just sit back and watch, they actually reacted,” saidConst. Mike Gattoof the Guelph Police Service.
