Driver Killed In Fiery Crash Had Just Bought Car; Witnesses Report Hearing Revving Engine
DETROIT (WWJ) - Relatives say a man who died in a fiery crash on Detroit's east side, along with his cousin and friend, had purchased the vehicle he was driving just hours before the fatal incident.
Twenty-six-year-old Ramone Bridges was killed Wednesday afternoon when he lost control of his vehicle and slammed into a tree near the front porch of a vacant home on Charlevoix at Lakewood. The vehicle immediately burst into flames, trapping Bridges, his 24-year-old cousin Raheem Akbar and their 24-year-old friend Sedric Whaley inside.
Witnesses told police they rushed to the scene to help, but flames prevented a rescue attempt. All three men were declared dead at the scene. Investigators say the bodies were extremely charred and autopsy results are expected to reveal causes of death.
Bridges' mother, Cynthia, told the Detroit News her son had purchased the vehicle, a Mercury Marauder, just hours before the accident.
"I talked to him earlier. I don't know what happened," she said. "I'm just overwhelmed."
Neighbors told reporters they saw the car speed by moments before the crash. Others said they heard the sounds of a revving engine.
Police have not yet set if speed was a factor in the crash, which remains under investigation.
