Gotta light? 
2003 Reader Submission
Pending Acceptance
Ladena Wilson, 25, died around noon Monday at the burn unit at Spectrum Health Blodgett hospital -- about 12 hours after she was burned.
Investigators were told that the woman's car ran out of gas late Sunday on Neland Avenue at Franklin Street SE, said Grand Rapids Fire Department Investigator Pablo Martinez. She called Leon Wilson, who picked her up in his sport-utility vehicle, Martinez said.
He drove her to a gas station at Franklin and Eastern Avenue SE, where they filled a plastic five-gallon gas can before returning to the car, police said.
With the gas can between her feet, apparently without a cap, she lighted a cigarette, the husband told police. The husband told firefighters he first saw flames on her hand, so he jumped out of the SUV and ran to the passenger-side door to help her.
By the time he reached her, her clothes were on fire, he told investigators.
The fire destroyed the SUV. Martinez said he found the remains of a gas can on the passenger-side floor.
She leaves behind 2 children, but fortunately has saved the gene pool from
further embarassment by exiting in a blaze of glory. Submitted on 06/25/2002
Light My Fire
25 year old Ladena Wilson's car ran out of gas on Neland Avenue in Grand
Rapids, Michigan...calling her husband for assistance, the two proceeded to
a gas station with a plastic gas can to solve her problem...upon arriving
back at the car, Mrs. Wilson decided that her nicotine deprivation was
great enough to warrant a cigarette...and lit one up with the gas can
sitting below her between her feet...apparently Mr. Wilson was a little
sloppier at filling the gas can than he thought, as some of the fuel had
made its way onto Mrs. Wilson's pants...this of course ignited when she lit
the cigarette...Mrs. Wilson died at a local hospital, and her husband is
recovering from his injuries...and his SUV was destroyed in the fire.
Submitted on 06/26/2002
Submitted by:
V Bowers, Jim McKinney
Reference:
Grand Rapids Press, 6/25/02; WQXC FM, June 25, 2002
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