Driver arrested for DUI after vehicle catches fire in Laurel County

LAUREL COUNTY, Ky. (ABC36 NEWS NOW) – A man was arrested early Wednesday morning after deputies say he was found intoxicated behind the wheel of a vehicle that later caught fire.

According to a release from the Laurel County Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded to a report of a vehicle stuck in a ditch along Somerset Road, about two miles west of London, around 12:10 a.m. Wednesday. When deputies arrived, they found the driver, identified as 44-year-old Manishkumar Patel of London, still inside the vehicle, pressing the accelerator, with the car in reverse. Deputies reported that the vehicle’s exhaust pipe was glowing red hot.

After repeated instructions, Patel exited the vehicle, at which point deputies said they detected the smell of alcohol. Moments later, the vehicle caught fire and was fully engulfed in flames within minutes.

Following an investigation, deputies determined Patel was under the influence. He was arrested and charged with operating a motor vehicle under the influence (first offense) and was taken to the Laurel County Correctional Center.