A Rockbridge Area Transportation System (RATS) vehicle was destroyed by fire Friday after erupting in flames while carrying a passenger on Village Way.
The 2020 Ford Transit hightop van was transporting a single rider when the driver noticed the first signs of smoke emanating from the engine compartment, according to Stephanie RiCharde, executive director of RATS. Acting quickly, he pulled the vehicle to the side of the road and evacuated the passenger to safety before the van was fully engulfed in flames.
No injuries were reported as a result of the incident, which occurred about 12:15 p.m.
Emergency crews from the Lexington Fire Department responded to the scene, along with the Rockbridge County Sheriff’s Office and the Virginia State Police. The vehicle was declared a total loss. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
At the time of the incident, the vehicle was RATS’ second-highest- mileage vehicle in the fleet, with approximately 189,000 miles, s aid R iCharde. R ATS, which has operated for 31 years providing door-to-door transportation services to Rockbridge residents, has never experienced a vehicle emergency of this severity in the past.
The driver’s swift response was credited with preventing what could have been a far more serious outcome, said RiCharde.
