NY man killed as he catches fire while riding bike

[MJP399 4]

Lohud.com

BETHPAGE, N.Y. - An 87-year-old man has died in suburban New York after his clothes caught fire while he was riding his bicycle.

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Authorities say Joseph Rusin was likely smoking a cigarette before he became engulfed in flames while cycling down Burkhardt Avenue in Bethpage.

A passing motorist saw Rusin rolling on the ground and used a fire extinguisher to douse the flames.....

[JM15 386]

wow imagine driving by and seeing that. I wouldn't even know what to think.

[SageVigiles 1,194]

File that one under the freak accident category...

[DR104 141]

Was he riding with Richard Pryor?

[EJS1810 7]

It's a shame Paul Harvey died last week because I would sure like "The rest of the story"

[Oswegowind 17]

Spontaneous combustion....that must have been a sight...1st off an 87 yo man riding a bike is not something you see everyday, but one on fire??!!!!!!

[Remember585 815]

wow imagine driving by and seeing that. I wouldn't even know what to think.

"Man, that guy better slow down or he's going to burst into flames on re-entry."

[Guest]

Thats an ad to stop smoking

[mlcougar2001 8]

Just goes to show When your number comes up it could be interesting.... RIP

[Guest alsfirefighter]

Guess at 87 he couldn't pedal any faster...I would have tried to haul butt and go down hill like how an airplane tries to extinguish an engine fire in the movies...lol. Either that or keep going until I can pull an Evel Kneivel into water.

There's gotta be more to this then what is reported...how long would clothing have to smolder with a cigarette before igniting? Or was he dressed head to toe in polyster or the old dryer sheet flammability issue. (Which by the way is true...lets just say alcohol, good friends, hot chicks and not paying attention to where the candle is on a table in relation to reaching over the table to get a kiss, and clothes where I used a dryer sheet....bad combo...luckily we were all loaded, I didn't get burned and we laughed our asses off.)

[gamewell45 258]

I think the burning issue here is whether or not the cigarette was the direct cause of the fire.

[Guest alsfirefighter]

I think the burning issue here is whether or not the cigarette was the direct cause of the fire.

Ba dump bump...lol. That's a good one mark...."the burning issue here is..." lol.