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Suspected drunk driver catches on fire after police Tase him

Posted at 12:59 PM, Feb 09, 2015
and last updated 2015-02-09 12:59:53-05

CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. -- A man is in critical condition after a police officer from Chesterfield, Va. Tased him and he caught on fire.

According to WTVR, the man was stopped by police Sunday morning for suspected drunk driving and sped away as an officer approached his vehicle.  The driver lost control of the car on a bridge and rolled over several times, police said.

The man was trapped inside, and after emergency responders removed him from the vehicle he allegedly started fighting with them and was Tased.

“One officer discharged his TASER at the man in order to bring him under control and this ignited the man’s clothing, which may have come in contact with gasoline during the crash,” Chesterfield Police tell WTVR. “Firefighters quickly extinguished the fire and transported the man to VCU Medical Center.”

The man, whose name has not been released, was alone in the car at the time of the crash, WTVR reports.