One dead in South Aberdeen vehicle fire

Published 1:30 pm Tuesday, January 24, 2023

A man who has not yet been formally identified died in a vehicle fire in South Aberdeen on Tuesday.

The initial reports were of a vehicle on fire parked near the intersection of West Marion Street and South Clark Street, said Lt. Andy Snodgrass of the Aberdeen Police Department.

Passersby were attempting to fight the fire before the arrival of Aberdeen Fire Department trucks and crews, Snodgrass said.

“Fire units responded. As units were enroute, we started receiving info that the van might have been occupied,” Snodgrass said. “AFD arrived on scene and extinguished the fire. They observed a deceased person inside the van.”

The ignition source of the fire is unknown at this early stage of the investigation, Snodgrass said.

“There were some propane tanks that were ignited when AFD arrived on scene,” Snodgrass said.

Personnel from AFD, APD and the county coroner’s office investigated the vehicle before removing the body on Tuesday afternoon. An autopsy will be conducted by the coroner’s office, said county coroner George Kelley.

There is currently no suspicion of foul play, Snodgrass said.

Contact reporter Michael S. Lockett at 757-621-1197 or mlockett@thedailyworld.com.