NHTSA Complaint #10261354 — 1998 GMC JIMMY

I WAS DRIVING A 1998GMC JIMMY FROM OKLAHOMA CITY, OK TO WALTERS, OK. EVERYTHING WAS GREAT AND THE CAR WAS DRIVING PERFECTLY. I WAS ON THE HE BAILEY TURNPIKE ON HIGHWAY MARKER 30 - I COULD SEE THE SIGN AND PULL OFF FOR THE FAXON EXIT AND THE BIG SIGN FOR WALTERS. A FEW WISPS OF WHITE SMOKE APPEARED AND THEN HEAVY GREY SMOKE STARTED TO BILLOW INTO MY FACE THROUGH THE RIGHT SIDE VENT OF THE DRIVER'S SEAT. I STARTED TO COUGH AND COULDN'T SEE SO I PULLED OVER TO THE SHOULDER OF THE ROAD. AS I GOT OUT OF THE CAR, I PULLED THE HOOD RELEASE AND RAN TO THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLES. UNDER THE HOOD, HALF OF THE ENGINE BAY WAS ALREADY BURNED AWAY - LIKE THE BOTTLE FOR ANTI-FREEZE AND HOSES.... THE WHOLE ENGINE BAY WAS ON FIRE. THE CAR WAS GONE AT THAT POINT - THERE WAS NO WAY TO SAVE IT. I RAN TO THE PASSENGER FRONT SEAT AND GRABBED A BASKET THAT HAD MY CENSUS ID AND I THREW IT AWAY FROM THE CAR. I GRABBED SOME CDS THEN TOO, BUT THEY WERE ON FIRE. THE DASH WAS ON FIRE AND WAS SPREADING INTO THE FRONT SEAT. I THREW THE CDS IN THE DIRT TO EXTINGUISH THE FIRE. I GRABBED THE PASSENGER SIDE DOOR OF THE BACK SEAT AND GRABBED A HAMPER WITH PRESENTS FOR MY DAUGHTER. I RAN TO THE OTHER SIDE BACK SEAT AND GRABBED THE LEGAL PAPERS OF CENSUS APPLICANTS - THEY WERE ON FIRE AND I SNUFFED OUT THE FIRE IN THE DIRT. I GRABBED MY JEAN JACKET WITH MY MILITARY ID AND DRIVER'S LICENSE - THE BACK SEAT AND FRONT SEAT WERE ON FIRE AND I RAN AWAY FROM THE VEHICLE AND IT FIREBALLED AND EXPLODED. TWO MEN FROM THE TURNPIKE MAINTENANCE SAW ME DRIVING - SMOKING POURING OUT FRONT HE VEHICLE; THEY SAW ME PULL OUT ON THE SHOULDER AND SAW ME RUNNING TO SALVAGE WHAT I COULD FROM THE BURNING VEHICLE. THEY CAME TO HELP ME AND CALLED THE FIRE DEPARTMENT AND HIGHWAY PATROL. MINOR INJURIES I HAD SMOKE INHALATION, MINOR BURNS TO FACE - SOOT ON HANDS & FEET. UNK MILEAGE. 1ST SOLD 12/31/97 BOUGHT FROM ORG OWNER 1/19/09 THESE ARE PICS HTTP://S229.PHOTOBUCKET.COM/ALBUMS/EE16/GFERCAKS33/MOM%20CAR/. *TR