A Dalton man who set himself on fire during a traffic strop Wednesday has died.
The Chillicothe 911 communications center received calls at 6:34 p.m. Wednesday about a suspicious man attempting to buy lighters from businesses south of Livingston County. He was carrying a container of flammable lighter fluid and driving a retired school bus that had been repainted, Chillicothe Police Chief Jon Maples said in a news release Thursday.
A short while later, the center received another call from a concerned witness. The person reported a school bus sporadically speeding up and slowing down on U.S Highway 65. According to Maples, the bus was running other vehicles off the road.
At 7:18 p.m. Chillicothe police saw the bus entering the city limits at a high speed. They pulled the driver over in the 900 block of South Washington Street.
When officers confronted the man, he leaped from his seat and ran to the back of the bus. Police could not see inside the bus because the windows were tinted, Maples said.
The man poured a container of lighter fluid over his body and set himself on fire. He exited the bus and ran toward officers.
Maples said police used a fire extinguisher from a patrol car to put out the flames. Emergency medical personnel from Livingston County were called to the scene.
The 43-year-old suffered severe injuries and was airlifted to a medical facility, but died.
According to Maples, the man’s intent is still unknown and an investigation is ongoing.
