Elderly Bicyclist Dies After Catching Fire

An 87-year-old man who was bicycling in Bethpage, Long Island died after his clothes apparently caught fire. Newsday reports that a FedEx driver saw Joseph Rusin "in flames and rolling on the ground on the front lawn of a home." The driver took "a fire extinguisher from his truck to put out the flames," while another witness called 911. Rusin was pronounced dead at Nassau County Medical Center. The fire is not considered suspicious; Nassau County fire officials believe Rusin, who was riding home from a supermarket with groceries, was smoking a cigarette, which ignited his nylon jacket.

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By Jen Chung in News on March 13, 2009 8:17 AM

Comments [rss]

Guest

Flaming guy on bicycle? Wasn't that an Apple commercial a few years back?

Spirit of 76

That doesn't make sense. Nylon is usually flame-resistant.

MFer

I guess smoking does kill. We need to ban old people wearing nylon jackets from bicycling while smoking.

MrCow

what a bizarre way to die

slny

The title is misleading.

It sounds like his bike had anything to do with it.

jaycjay

"It sounds like his bike had anything to do with it."

No more than it makes it sound like being elderly has something to do with it. That is, no it doesn't. Both words just add descriptive detail.

Thespis

Crappy way to go...but I hope when I'm 87 I've got my stuff together well enough to ride a bike home from the grocery while smoking a cigarette.

I'll probably be more at risk of catching my oxygen tank on fire as some fat nurse wheels me to the "extra-mushy" dining hall.