Dublin man dies from injuries related to car fire from earlier this month

A-66-year-old Dublin man passed away in an Augusta hospital last Wednesday, approximately 15 days after he was pulled from a car fire outside of his home.

Richard Wells was pronounced dead at 7:40 a.m. Wednesday, Aug. 19 at the Augusta Burn Center, said Laurens County Coroner Richard Stanley. 

The State Fire Marshal’s Office, who was involved in the case, notified Dublin Fire Chief Matthew Cutler about Wells on Thursday. 

“They came down on this case because we had a serious injury,” Cutler said. “They ruled it was an accidental vehicle fire. The man was inside the vehicle sleeping and did not wake up.” 

On Aug. 4, the Dublin Fire Department received a call about a vehicle on fire on Sunny Lane around 7:39 p.m. The caller said the vehicle was parked between the house and a garage. They also believed there was a man, later identified as Wells, still in the vehicle.

Two Dublin police officers found the man unresponsive in the driver’s seat and was able to remove him from the car. When firefighters arrived, some quickly put out the flames while others helped EMS with Wells. The man initially went to Fairview Park Hospital before being transported to the Augusta Burn Center.

Cutler said Wells suffered smoke inhalation and some burns. Officials determined that fire started in the engine compartment and was working its way into the passenger’s compartment when the fire was discovered. 

A nearby camera showed Wells arriving home around 5:30 p.m. They do not believe he ever got out of the car, remaining in it until the officers removed him. 

“At some point, something happened that made him not responsive enough to get out of the car when it caught on fire,” Cutler said. “It doesn’t appear that the fire was intentional, but the cause of the fire is still undetermined.”

“We were hopeful he was going to be able to survive,” Cutler said. “They gave him a chance.”