NHTSA Complaint #10109010 — 2001 MACK CX613

COMPLAINT RECEIVED VIA E-MAIL.WHILE DRIVING EAST ON 84, I GOT A CALL FROM ANOTHER DRIVER TELLING ME MY RIGHT HEADLIGHT WAS OUT. AT THE TIME I WAS ONLY 2 MILES ROM THE TRUCK STOP IN MIDDLETOWN, NY. I THOUGHT IT WAS ONLY A BLOWN HEADLIGHT. SO I FIGURED I WOULD CONTINUE TO DRIVE TO THE TRUCK STOP AND CHANGE IT THERE. SUDDENLY THE RIGHT SIDE OF TRUCK BURST INTO FLAMES, PULLED OVER, AND ATTEMPTED TO PUT THE FIRE OUT WITH FIRE EXTINGUISHER. CONSUMER USED THE ENTIRE CANISTER, AND FINALLY GOT THE FIRE OUT. CONSUMER SUSTAINED 2ND AND 3RD DEGREE BURNS TO MY RIGHT HAND WHILE TRYING TO PUT THE FIRE OUT. I WAS TAKEN TO MIDDLETOWN HOSPITAL FOR TREATMENT. I HAD NO WARNING BEFORE THE FIRE BROKE OUT, I DID NOT SMELL ANYTHING BEFORE THE FIRE AND NO FUSES BLEW UNTIL THE FIRE WAS ALREADY STARTED, AND THEN THE ONLY FUSE THAT BLEW OUT WAS IN THE TRAILER LIGHTS. THE WHOLE TIME I WAS FIGHTING THE FIRE, AND COULD SEE THE WIRES ARCING OUT IN THE HEADLIGHT. THERE WAS EXTENSIVE DAMAGE DONE TO MY TRUCK. *AK