Fire victim dies of injuries

12/28/2002

KENTON, Ohio - A Bellefontaine man whose van caught fire outside the Kenton factory where he worked has died from his injuries.

Ben Stevens, 26, died Thursday evening in Miami Valley Hospital, Dayton, where he was flown by air ambulance after the 9:30 a.m. accident.

According to Kenton Firefighter Roger Crowe, Mr. Stevens, a paraplegic, had driven to work at Pleasant Precision on U.S. 68 just south of Kenton when his van caught fire and he was unable to get out. “A fellow worker saw the van and heard him calling and pulled him out of the van,” Mr. Crowe said.

Mr. Stevens suffered severe burns. Investigators said it appeared that a leak in the power steering system of Mr. Stevens's specially fitted van caused the fire in the van's engine compartment.