DERRY TOWNSHIP, Pa. — A Westmoreland County man says he only had seconds to escape from his car when it caught fire while he was driving.
Daniel McAdams says it was a typical drive to his local Walmart to pick up a few things.
“It was actually Mother’s Day,” Daniel McAdams tells Channel 11. “I was going to get flowers for my wife. I started smelling this strange smell. I said ‘Something don’t smell right,’ so I started coming back home.”
McAdams says as he crested the hill to his driveway, his car started to fill with smoke.
“It was like a really thick fog,” McAdams said. “You could barely see. I could barely see out of the windshield - it was that heavy.”
McAdams says he got out as fast as he could and grabbed his garden hose.
“I popped the hood, saw the flames coming from back behind the engine and that’s when we started dousing it,” he added.
McAdams says an insurance adjuster deemed the car a total loss. Then he called Kia.
“A fire inspector came out,” McAdams said. “I was supposed to get a copy of the report - I haven’t to date, so I don’t know what caused the fire.”
In the meantime, McAdams, who has a family of five and works two jobs, has been forced to rent a car out of pocket for three months. He says it costs him about $180 every week or two, on average.
Channel 11 went to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s website and found out his Kia was under two recalls for the risk of catching on fire. McAdams says the worst part is that the repair was on his mechanic’s calendar.
“It was scheduled that week,” he said. “It was just a few days before when it caught fire.”
Michael Brooks is the Executive Director with the Center for Auto Safety. He says fixing a recall can save your life.
“Usually, we see a fully engulfed fire or houses that catch fire that are nearby,” Brooks added.
So, what can you do? Brooks says, don’t wait for letters in the mail. Register with the manufacturer and they will send you email or text alerts. Also, check the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s website for recalls. You can put in your license plate number, VIN, or year, make and model.
“Your car needs frequent updates and maintenance, and recalls are probably one of the most important you can get,” Brooks added.
In the meantime, McAdams says be prepared even if your recall fix is scheduled.
“This is a car and we’re talking about moving tons of steel,” McAdams continued. “It catches fire and you have a family - I don’t want to see someone lose their whole family because they don’t know about the fire risk. This is life or death.”
We reached out to Kia U.S.A. about McAdams’ case and whether or not the fire inspector’s report is available. As of this report, we have not heard back.
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