Update: Medical condition possible contributor to fiery collision

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While leaving the parking lot, the 82-year-old’s vehicle collided with two parked cars, a utility trailer, and a concrete barrier.

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Fluid spewed out of the driver’s vehicle, according to police which led to the vehicle inferno.

Smoke could be seen billowing out of the car , as Vernon Fire and Rescue worked to put out the blaze.

Police maintain that staff and students at Harwood Elementary School were not harmed in the incident.

“As all the students were inside the school, there was no safety risk to the students during this incident,” said Cpl Tania Finn, Media Relations Officer with the Vernon North Okanagan RCMP.

“Out of caution for the health of the students, police requested they remain inside in order to minimize any exposure to the smoke from vehicle fire,” Cpl. Finn said.

The driver’s wife was contacted and she went to hospital to attend to her husband.

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Original Story:

Smoke was sent billowing into the sky Monday morning as Vernon Fire and Rescue firefighters worked diligently to extinguish a vehicle fire in the Harwood Elementary School parking lot.

Luckily no one was inside the burning vehicle when firefighters arrived at around 10:20 a.m.

“It appears the vehicle was involved in several crashes in the area before it stopped in the parking lot,” Fire Captain Rob Cucheran said.

Members of Vernon Fire and Rescue services managed to contain the fire to prevent it from spreading to nearby structures.

No children at Harwood Elementary were present when the fire broke out as classes were in session.

While the fire did create significant smoke, Cucheran said there was no immediate risk to students or staff members at the school.

The fire was fully extinguished around 11 a.m. Crews returned to the scene to apply absorbant material to sop up leaks sprung from damaged vehicles involved in the earlier collisions.

The incident is under investigation.