A United State Postal Service (USPS) delivery truck caught fire Thursday afternoon in Darnestown.
At approximately 12:30 p.m., Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service (MCFRS) responded to the 14200 block of Seneca Road for a report of a vehicle on fire in the rear of a residence.
Update – 14200blk Seneca Road, Darnestown, vehicle fire extinguished, Driver indicated mechanical issues (started engine & started smoke & flames), gas combustion engine, @MCFRS_EMIHS evaluating Driver, no serious injury, if any at all, no extension to nearby structure https://t.co/s5R4YZNBah pic.twitter.com/RcyLuHYcja
— Pete Piringer (@mcfrsPIO) July 21, 2022
The driver of the vehicle told authorities that after starting the engine, smoke and flames erupted from the gas combustion engine, according to MCFRS Chief Spokesperson Pete Piringer.
The total damage of the vehicle is estimated to be more than $30,000. A load of mail was also destroyed, Piringer said.
Although uninjured, the driver was transported to a local hospital after suffering from anxiety.
“The Postal Service is grateful there were no injuries and for emergency personnel’s quick response,” a USPS spokesperson told MyMCM. “We make every effort to recover, salvage, and deliver as much mail as possible. Whenever mail is destroyed, the Postal Service contacts customers on the route whose mail may have been impacted.”
