Well, Volvos are pretty safe, but still...

Cops: Driver burned after he used lighter to check fuel

FROM NEWSDAY.COM

September 23, 2005, 11:51 AM EDT

An East Patchogue truck driver is in critical condition after he used a cigarette lighter to check the fuel level in his dump truck that burst into flames, Nassau police said.

Scott Allen, 38, of 290 Atlantic Ave., was driving a truck with a faulty fuel gauge and stopped to check the fuel level at the intersection of Peninsula Boulevard and Merrick Road in Lynbrook, police said. Allen decided to use the flame from a cigarette lighter to illuminate the tank. However, the lighter ignited fumes that engulfed the rest of the truck, police said.

The Lynbrook Fire Department extinguished the burning truck and Allen was taken to Nassau University Medical Center with second-degree burns to his face, chest and right arm. He is listed in critical condition.

The dump truck, a 2001 Volvo, is owned by Hawkeye Construction in Hauppauge. The fire happed just before 1 a.m. on Thursday.

...lighting a match around the fuel tank is a pretty obvious Bad Thing To Do.

Best wishes to Mr. Allen for a speedy recovery.