Man catches fire, dies after van bursts into flames at Daytona Beach Police Department

Officers were inside police headquarters when van caught fire

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla – A man caught fire and died early Wednesday after a van burst into flames outside Daytona Beach police headquarters, officials said.

Daytona Beach police said the van pulled into the parking lot of the department’s main office on Valor Boulevard just after 2 a.m.

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Officers inside the department heard a loud noise, possibly caused by an exploding tire, and then saw the gray 2003 Ford van consumed by flames, police said.

A man who was on fire got out of the van, but he collapsed in the parking lot and was pronounced dead at the scene, according to police.

Police have said the man is a 55-year-old from Lake City in North Florida, which is nearly 130 miles away from Daytona Beach.

Investigators have not released the man’s name or said why he may have been in Daytona Beach.

Fire crews put out the fire, and investigators are trying to determine if foul play was involved. Police said the fire was not caused by a mechanical issue with the van.

Stay with News 6 and ClickOrlando.com for updates on this developing story.


About the Authors:

John Ambrogne is an executive producer for News 6 and has been with WKMG-TV since 2012. John graduated with a degree in broadcast journalism from Syracuse University and has covered breaking news and major events in Central Florida since 2002.

Ezzy Castro is a multimedia journalist on News 6's morning team who has a passion for telling the stories of the people in the Central Florida community. Ezzy worked at WFOR CBS4 in South Florida and KBMT in Beaumont, Texas, where she covered Hurricane Harvey in 2017. Being from Miami, Ezzy loves Cuban coffee and croquetas!

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