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Darwin Awards
2014 Slush Pile

This item was recently submitted by a reader.
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Set Your Car (and You) On Fire

2014 Reader Submission
Pending Acceptance

I copied the actual story from the newspaper. I have the print copy too if you want me to scan and send. The newspaper tells it better than I ever could...

"Two dead in Temple vehicle fire"

Posted: Monday, November 17, 2014 11:15 pm | Updated: 11:15 pm, Mon Nov 17, 2014.

By Colton Campbell/Times-Georgian

Authorities believe the father who, along with his son, died in a vehicle fire over the weekend may have set the fire himself.

Chief Dep. Brad Robinson of Carroll County Sheriff's Office identified the deceased individuals as Temple residents Jerry Summerville, 63, and Matthew Summerville, 39. The two men died Friday around 6:30 p.m. while traveling in the eastbound lanes of Highway 78 in Temple.

CCSO investigators believe the Summervilles were planning to set fire to the 2001 Oldsmobile Silhouette, which had recently been in a minor traffic accident, when the elder man showed his son how the fire could be set.

"Matthew's wife was driving the van, and she's told us that Jerry acted as if he was going to light the van's dash on fire, with the dash actually starting to smoke while they were in the van," Robinson said. "At that point, she pulled off the side of the road and said she wasn't going to keep driving the van."

Robinson said Matthew Summerville then took control of the van, leaving his wife on the side of the road and driving on, with the dash smoldering. The two Summerville men turn from Hwy. 113 onto Hwy. 78, with a witness telling authorities he saw the van's dash area on fire from outside the vehicle.

"They ended up pulling over and eventually died inside the van," Robinson said. "There's a high possibility there was damage done to the vehicle's electrical components. Maybe the doors wouldn't open, and there's some speculation that the dash was so hot that the men were moving to the back of the van to either get away from the fire or exit through the rear."

The trio had been to Carrollton for dinner that night, Robinson said, and the two Summerville men had been drinking alcohol. The family was returning to Temple when the incident occurred.

Robinson said the deceased's wife told authorities the men were planning to burn the van when they returned home.

"They talked to a body shop about repairs from the minor accident they were in a few weeks ago, and it appears they were going to burn the van for insurance purposes," the chief deputy said. "So it started with the idea of committing an arson, and we believe [Jerry] Summerville was just showing his son and daughter-in-law how he would set the car on fire. But there's obviously more fire in a cigarette lighter than these two men knew about."

Robinson said the investigation is ongoing, with an autopsy expected.

© 2014 Times-Georgian. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Submitted on 11/19/2014

Submitted by: Anonymous
Reference: Times-Georgian 11-18-14 Carrollton, GA

Copyright © 2014 DarwinAwards.com

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Bruce said:
Definitely Keep: Darwin Award
Well at least the wife seems to have some intelligence. Thanks for sending this in.


Candi said:
Definitely Keep: Darwin Award


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