Investigators Say Fatal West Hartford Car Fire Was 'Accidental'

WEST HARTFORD, CT — Investigators in West Hartford have determined that a fatal car fire at Kane Street Parking lot seemed to have been "accidental" and identified the deceased as a Hartford man.

According to a report released Tuesday, 66-year-old Stephen Pelletier, of Hartford, died in the fire.

Just before 4 a.m. on Feb. 3, an officer on patrol noticed a car ablaze the parking lot at 46 Kane St., according to a report. The officer broke a window in an attempt to get inside the vehicle, which was already "engulfed" in flames according to a police report.

The flames were so intense that the officer had to back away, according to a report.

The West Hartford Fire Department extinguished the fire shortly after, but the lone occupant, seated behind the steering wheel, was pronounced dead, according to a police report.