Paramedics frantically try to rescue a man from his burning car in Detroit

Detroit paramedics were responding to a call this morning about a man slumped over the wheel on the east side when his car erupted in flames just before the ambulance arrived.

At 5:15 a.m., the paramedics frantically tried to free the man from the 1994 Grand Prix as the flames grew more fierce outside of 4883 Devonshire.

“They tried everything they could to get him out, breaking the windows,” Detroit Police Sgt. Michael Woody told us. “Unfortunately they weren’t able to get him out.”

Firefighters arrived within three minutes of getting a call about the fire, but there was nothing they could do either.

It’s unclear what caused the fire or why the man was slumped over the wheel, but police are investigating the case as a homicide.

“We are treating it as a homicide for now, and we will be working with arson investigators,” Sgt. Woody said.

Less than two weeks ago, firefighters found three bodies in a burned car on Detroit’s east side.

Steve Neavling

Steve Neavling lives and works in Detroit as an investigative journalist. His stories have uncovered corruption, led to arrests and reforms and prompted FBI investigations.