It was just like any other morning for Arlington Heights resident Helen Barajas as she was driving home from dropping her son off at camp Friday, but soon she was witness to an unnerving scene in her SUV.
Barajas was on her way home when she noticed white smoke coming from underneath the glove compartment on the passenger side of her Acura MDX SUV. As she neared her home, the smoke turned black and a fire soon erupted.
The mother was able to get out of the car and get her young son out of his car seat before the car was engulfed, which took place rapidly.
“Everything in the car is burned down to the metal. Everything is gone,” she said. “The flames were shooting past the trees.”
Barajas was worried that the car would explode, but firefighters acted quickly and kept a scary situation from getting even worse.
“We have not had any issues with the car and then for this to happen, I’m really kind of shocked,” she said.
Barajas said that she bought the car brand new in 2015, and the vehicle has had no accidents or mishaps over that time. She said that no lights came on in the vehicle while she was driving it prior to the fire starting.
Local
The cause of the fire is now under investigation, and the family said that they have contacted their insurance company. They also plan to contact Acura in the coming days to discuss the scary incident.
Until they hear back from the companies involved, Barajas has simple advice for any motorist to follow.
“Be mindful while you’re driving,” she said.
