not the usual accident

The intersection in front of our house is not an all-way stop and people sometimes misjudge it, so it's not unusual to hear a thump followed by angry voices from time to time. I usually look out the window and, if people are standing outside the cars, assume they've got things under control. Yesterday afternoon we were visiting with a guest, so we didn't look immediately when we heard the thump.

When we heard sirens a minute or two later we got up to look. Usually these accidents are fender-benders, so sirens are unusual. There was a fire truck in the street right in front of our house. Police cars were starting to block the street.

There was a car across the street, doors open and unoccupied, and some other cars parked haphazardly nearby. (Other involved parties? Witnesses?) The firemen were unrolling their hose, so I looked more closely and clearly saw flames under the front of the car, coming through the space behind the front wheel. Our visitor, a nurse, wondered if he should offer assistance, but concluded that there was nothing useful he could do. (We didn't yet see an ambulance but also didn't see anybody in distress or surrounded by other people.)

Cars were trying to come down the street facing our house, toward the blocked intersection, when a huge smoke cloud appeared. I don't know if that was just from the car (wonder what happened if so) or if this was the fire hose's first contact or what. It did, however, cause approaching drivers to turn around.

I think they spent about ten minutes trying to put the fire out. At one point it looked like they had it, but then somebody started banging on the hood of the car with what we assumed was an axe. Eventually they put it out, a tow truck showed up, and everybody dispersed.

I couldn't find any local news about it online, so I have no idea what happened. I didn't know that a car could burn for many minutes without engulfing the car; all the action seemed to be in the engine and environs. Still, that car's gotta be totalled.