Chester Man Dies From Burns in Car Fire
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Edward Rutherford Jr., 39, of Williams Street in Chester died at Bridgeport (Conn.) Hospital from burns suffered in the fire.
Berkshire District Attorney David F. Capeless, in a statement, said the Becket Police Department received a 911 call about 7:10 Friday evening reporting a car fire on Route 20 in Becket.
Several motorists stopped and were able to pull Rutherford from the burning vehicle. Police, fire and emergency medical technicians responded to the scene, a pull-off west of the Intersection of Routes 20 and 8, and took him to Lee High School. From there, he was airlifted to Bridgeport.
Bridgeport Hospital has the closest (and in Connecticut the only) burn center. All four Massachusetts burn centers are in Boston.
The office of the chief medical examiner in Connecticut will conduct an autopsy to determine the exact cause of death.
Foul play is not suspected in the fire or death. Authorities are trying to determine the cause of the blaze. Becket Police Chief William Elovirta told The Berkshire Eagle that the car was parked and did not appear to have been in an accident.
Capeless lauded the motorists who tried to save Rutherford's life.
"I want to commend the quick action and bravery of passers-by who risked their own safety to pull Rutherford away from the burning car and extinguish the flames that engulfed him," he said in the release. "Tragically, those efforts were not enough to save his life but nonetheless they should be recognized."
The investigation is being conducted by members of the Becket Police and Fire departments, state fire marshal and state police detectives assigned to the district attorney's office.
