Police have identified the man killed when his truck crashed into a tree and burst into flames in Bristol over the weekend as 56-year-old Nelson A. Thibeault.
According to police, Thibeault, of Bristol, was driving his Ford Ranger pickup truck northbound on Stafford Avenue around 6:20 p.m. Sunday when he veered off the side of the road near Jewel Street and hit a tree 30 feet from the pavement.
Neighbors tried to help Thibeault out of the truck when it caught fire, but smoke and flames kept them back.
Thibeault's cause of death is listed as smoke inhalation, according to police. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Police said he was traveling alone and no one else was hurt.
Officials said gasoline leaked from the truck and entered a nearby storm drain.
The Department of Energy & Environmental Protection was notified and responded to the scene. A private contractor was contacted and responded to contain the spill. Fire and DEEP officials determined there was no danger to the immediate neighborhood.
The police department's Serious Traffic Accident Reconstruction Team is investigating. Thibeault's death is considered an accident.
Local
Anyone with information about this crash should contact the Bristol Police Department Traffic Division at 860-584-3030.
