A Medford woman’s work week got off to a terrible start this morning when her 2014 Cadillac caught fire just after she exited the L.I. Expressway at Exit 71.
Carol Kafarski was on her way to work at Malvese Equipment in Riverhead when, as she approached her exit, she “felt like a downshift” which slowed the vehicle down. The car then returned to normal speed, she said, but right after she got off the expressway something happened.
“I heard a pop and started smelling smoke, so I pulled over and got out,” Kafarski said. “The sheriffs were here immediately,” she said.
“Flames were coming out of the trunk.”
Riverhead firefighters found “flames rolling out of the trunk” when they arrived on scene at 7:44 a.m., First Assistant Chief Kevin Brooks said. “Then it leaked into the rear seat area,” Brooks said.
Eastbound Nugent Drive was closed, with traffic diverted onto South River Road, while Riverhead Fire Department extinguished the fire.
Kafarski, the sole occupant of the car, was not injured.
“I loved that car,” she said sadly afterward. She just bought it in February, she said.
The fire was brought under control by 7:54 a.m.
Peter Blasl contributed reporting.
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