An Ohio University graduate student was taken to Columbus for burn treatment Saturday after a fire broke out while she was refueling, catching the car, the gas pump and the woman's clothing on fire.
Carolyn Zimmermann was taken to the Ohio State University Medical Center, which specializes in burn care, where she was listed in fair condition yesterday afternoon. The center would not release further information about her injuries.
The fire broke out at 2:48 p.m. Saturday at the Sunoco station, 928 E. State St., according to a report by Capt. George Klinger of the Athens Fire Department.
A static charge ignited gas that had leaked from the nozzle during fueling, and the fire spread from the car to the pump, also catching Zimmermann's pants on fire. Zimmermann had set the pump to stop automatically and then returned to sit in her 1998 Honda Civic, causing the static charge.
Sunoco employees activated the emergency fuel stop as Zimmermann ran from the fire, and a woman from a nearby pump used a coat to smother the flames on the woman's clothing, according to the report.
The fire department responded in four minutes and extinguished the fire, which destroyed the pump and the car. Firefighters said yesterday they did not know if the vehicle was running at the time of the incident.
In other weekend news, a 19-year-old OU student reported being sexually assaulted Thursday night, according to a report from the Athens Police Department. The victim was treated and released from O'Bleness Memorial Hospital, but no other information was released because the investigation is ongoing.
APD also responded to a large fight on South Congress Street near Bromley Hall. The fight is under investigation and might result in several assault reports or charges, according to the report.
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Kantele Franko
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An Ohio University student's Honda Civic and her clothes caught on fire while refueling Saturday afternoon, and Athens firefighters Rich Ohms and Danny Brown responded to the call. The student was taken to Columbus and is in fair condition.
Static charge ignites driver, vehicle, pump while refueling
