A Dundee woman has told of the horrific moment she saw a man lying on the ground after being engulfed in a fireball in the city.
Jenny O’Donnell, 29, came to the aid of the man’s family members, who were on the scene, and kept them calm until the emergency services arrived.
The man was rushed to Ninewells Hospital after Friday evening’s incident on Laird Street with serious burns, with his current condition unknown.
Police are still investigating and at the centre of their inquiries was a silver Ford Focus and a petrol can beside the vehicle on the pavement.
Jenny said: “I came round the corner of the street and heard shouting.
“By the time I went up to see what was going on the man had already been burned and was on the ground.
“A few other women I think they were family members were holding the man still and were trying to keep him calm until the ambulance arrived. The man’s sister was screaming and I tried to keep her calm.
“I was trying to keep her away from the car and the petrol canister as there was still a small flame coming out of it.
“I was just trying to help, it’s what anyone would’ve done. When the emergency services arrived they took over.”
Other eyewitnesses said they had seen the man lying on the street with burns to his face, hands and body.
After the victim was taken to hospital, police forensic officers gathered evidence on the street and removed a number of items including pieces of charred clothing and a baseball bat.
Scottish Fire and Rescue said they were called to the bottom part of Laird Street shortly before 6pm after reports of a car on fire, which was extinguished before their arrival.
Laird Street resident James Ford said the first he heard of the incident was when fire crews arrived.
The 71-year-old said: “I was in the kitchen at the time and didn’t hear or see anything until the fire brigade turned up.
“Later I saw the police remove a baseball bat from the car, which I thought was strange.
“This is normally a quiet street and it’s very rare for incidents like this to happen.”