UPDATE: Roy Man Who Set Himself on Fire Dies
Roy, UT, March 21, 2015 (Gephardt Daily) –
A Roy, Utah man that inadvertently lit himself on fire and intentionally set his garage on fire Saturday evening has passed away.
Police tell Gephardt Daily John Bingham, 53, poured gasoline in the garage then walked into his home to the kitchen where he lit a piece of paper or cardboard on fire. With fumes accumulating in the garage when Bingham opened the door to the garage he was lit on fire.
It was originally thought that Bingham may have intentionally set himself on fire but after further investigation the police department is unsure of what is motive was. “We don’t know if his intent was to set himself on fire.” say Officer Matthew Gwynn.
Neighbor, Enaka Lasater ran to the home once she heard popping coming from the garage and saw the man on the grass while the fire department was working on him. Lasater has been friends with Bingham for 15 years and says that she believes he would never do anything intentionally.
Vanessa Cahill, an old neighbor of Bingham, told Gephardt Daily, “He’s such a sweetheart. Oh my god he’s amazing, absolutely amazing, and this is all such a shock that this actually happened.”
The fire began at 9:30 p.m. and when first responders arrived at the home at 3823 West 5700 South they found the man was still on fire and used blankets to smother the flames.
He was airlifted to a Salt Lake City hospital in with second degree burns on 80 to 90% of his body as a result of an explosion.
According to Roy City Fire Chief Jason Poulson the man’s girlfriend was inside the home when firefighters arrived, but was uninjured in the mishap.
“The garage was fully engulfed when we got here and we pretty much contained it to the garage,” Poulson said. “We had our paramedics and EMT’s work on the patient. The patient was air lifted to the burn unit in Salt Lake via helicopter. He had about 80 to 90 percent burns throughout his body.”
The estimated damage to the home is $70,000-$80,000.
(DEVELOPING STORY)
