Man Airlifted To Hospital After Suffering Burns In Colonia Backyard

Authorities are trying to determine how a 45-year-old man was burned in a backyard in the Colonia section of Woodbridge on Tuesday.

The man was airlifted to the Burn Center at St. Barnabas Hospital in Livingston, Police Capt. Roy Hoppock said.

The victim and a friend had been working on a lawn mower Tuesday, and after filling it with gasoline, they left the gas can on the ground. Later, they were sitting in the backyard, smoking.

The friend told authorities that he walked off the deck, then saw a bright flash, so he turned around. That’s when he realized the victim was on fire, he told police.

The friend grabbed a tarp, put it on the victim and rolled him on the ground to extinguish the flames, Hoppock said.

The Colonia Fire Department still investigating to determine exactly how the man was burned, but authorities say the case does not appear to be suspicious.