KITTANNING, Pa. — Emergency crews are investigating an incident in which a woman either caught fire or set herself on fire at a gasoline pump outside an East Franklin Township supermarket Monday morning.
Officials said the incident was reported shortly after 11 a.m. Monday outside the Shop-N-Save in Kittanning.
The 51-year-old woman, whose name and condition have not been released, was rushed to UPMC Mercy Hospital.
Witnesses said the woman was wildly running around while her body was on fire.
“I just heard screaming, a blood-curdling scream,” witness Vanessa O’Neal said. “It looked like from her torso down, maybe to her knees. I was terrified. I just wanted to call 911.”
Authorities said a truck driver and two bystanders helped put the fire out.
“She was talking when they loaded her into the helicopter,” East Franklin Township police Sgt. William Evans said. “We’re still trying to determine whether it was an accidental or intentional act.”
The Armstrong County District Attorney’s office said they hope surveillance cameras will answer whether the incident was accidental or incidental.
“To try and do something like that in a public place, people aren’t just going to walk away. They’re going to come help,” witness Brandy Peluso said.
No other injuries were reported in the fire.
WPXI
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