RESIDENTS tried in vain to rescue a man from a horrifying car blaze in Wombwell.
The victim, named locally as Mark Cornthwaite and in his 40s, died when the car he was sitting in turned into an inferno on Frederick Street at 10.45pm on Tuesday.
Police said they are not treating the fire as suspicious, despite residents describing shouting minutes before the car went up in flames.
They described hearing a loud bang, followed by silence - and then an eruption of light and heat as the car, parked close to the junction with Bartholomew Street, ignited.
After realising someone was inside, two residents attempted to pull the man from the car, but the intensity of the flames meant they could not get close to the vehicle.
One resident, who did not wish to be named, said: “I was just getting ready to go to bed when I felt the living room shaking. I panicked and didn’t dare look out to see what had happened. But my partner did and ran downstairs, ran outside - and that’s when it exploded. He couldn’t get close.”
Another resident’s son tried to reach the car.
He said: “He lives in the front bedroom, heard the bang and saw the car light up. I’d just gone to bed and he shouted ‘Dad, there’s a car on fire’ and ran outside, but it was impossible to get anyone out.”
Several residents called the emergency services, who were on the scene within minutes.
One described hearing shouting before the fire, but didn’t think it was unusual.
“Then we heard a loud bang which drew the attention of the neighbours. We had our TV on and it was loud enough for us to hear it over that.
“I went out onto the street to take a look and saw other people coming out of their houses. You couldn’t see into the car at all. And then it went up in a flash, the whole car was engulfed.
“It took just half a second to a second to ignite. The car looked like it had been driven on the street.
“You wouldn’t have been able to touch it at all, you couldn’t get anywhere close to the doors.”
Another resident woke up to the sound of shouting.
She said: “I woke up and went to my window and saw a man in the passenger seat of a car. He was kicking the doors and using vulgar language. He got out of the car after doing that and had a note or something. He walked about two metres away from the car, then kneeled down and tried to light something.
“Then he got up, and wanted to open the doors on the driver’s side but they were jammed and he couldn’t get in.
“So he got over to the passenger seat and went that way. Then he put his seat belt on and started up the engine, and moved the car just a little bit, like he was going somewhere. He stopped and probably was on his phone because it lit up.
“Then he put the phone on the passenger seat and it all went quiet. I turned away from the window because I thought it was over.
“And then I turned around when I heard the explosion. It was horrifying.”
A spokesman for South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue confirmed that engines from Tankersley, Cudworth and Dearne stations attended the scene.
A police spokeswoman said: “Emergency services were called to Frederick Street in Wombwell at around 10.45pm on Tuesday.
“A car was on fire in the street with a man believed to be inside the vehicle. The fire was extinguished however the man was pronounced dead at the scene.
“There are no suspicious circumstances and police are not looking for anyone in connection to the incident. A file will now be prepared for the coroner.”
