SANTA MONICA MOUNTAINS : Van Catches Fire; Man Dies of Burns
An unidentified man died of severe burns after his van burst into flames and crashed on a road in the Santa Monica Mountains, sheriff’s deputies said Tuesday.
Witnesses saw the back of the van’s cabin was on fire as the man drove south through a tunnel on Malibu Canyon Road south of Piuma Road about 9:10 p.m. Monday, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Sgt. Mike Santander said. The flaming van swerved into a tunnel wall and then rebounded into an embankment outside the tunnel, he said.
The van was completely engulfed by the time it came to rest, Santander said. Investigators found a small barbecue--which they believe may have caused the fire--inside the van.
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