US

Man Literally Goes Up In Flames Smoking Crack On NY Sidewalk [VIDEO]

(Twitter/Screenshot)

Daily Caller News Foundation logo
Steve Birr Vice Reporter
Font Size:

An unidentified man smoking crack on a sidewalk in New York City set himself on fire after putting a lighter that was still lit in his pocket.

The bizarre scene unfolded Sunday in the Brooklyn neighborhood Bedford-Stuyvesant. Ziearre Flowers, 18, captured it on video while passing by with family. A man is seen strolling back and forth on a sidewalk somewhat serenely as his clothes go up in flames and engulf his entire body. Onlookers said the man did not yell for help, scream or even indicate he was in pain, reports NY Daily News.

He casually tries to remove some of his blazing clothes, ignoring calls from bystanders and Flowers shouting “Hey, are you OK?, are you good?” He walked away from Flowers and the other onlookers, who call the fire department.

“The man lit himself on fire,” Aaronda Flowers, Ziearre’s mother, told NY Daily News. “I thought it was a tree burning. It was a small fire at first. I came to realize it was actually a man on fire.”

When police and fire officials arrived at the scene the man was gone, but fire marshals returned the next day to investigate the incident further. Authorities successfully identified the man, who returned to his residence after setting himself ablaze and fell asleep on his bed.

His family was allegedly horrified by how burned up he was when he awoke and called for an ambulance at roughly 4:20 p.m. Monday. He told them he put a lighter in his pocket that was still lit after smoking crack.

Officials took him to New York Presbyterian Hospital Weill Cornell in stable condition.

Follow Steve on Twitter

All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.