Car catches fires; driver charged with DUI

By NATHAN LAMB | Milton Independent Staff Writer
mireporter@mac.com

Morrisville resident Jon Beach, 62, is facing DUI charges after his car caught fire the evening of Jan. 9. Beach parked his Toyota Camry at the United Church of Milton at about 9 p.m. that evening, but not before driving it at least four miles with a flat tire, according to Police.

The friction and sparks caused by driving on the wheel's metal rim eventually ignited the rear area of the car, said Milton Police Corporal Scott Philbrook. He responded to the call and
reported he smelled intoxicants while interviewing Beach.

Police received reports of the vehicle driving on its rims in neighboring Georgia, but Beach reportedly said he was unaware anything was amiss until he noticed the fire and parked shortly thereafter.

Overall, Philbrook conceded that was an unusual twist to this case.

“Obviously, we see a lot of DUIs but it's pretty usual for someone to drive four miles on a blown tire…to the extent that the car catches on fire, that's a pretty unusual occurrence,” he said.