T-L Photo/KIM NORTH Martins Ferry and Bridgeport first responders put out a car fire that stopped traffic on Ohio 7 Thursday afternoon. A helicopter was called in to airlift the driver to a hospital. Man air-lifted after car fire on Ohio 7

MARTINS FERRY — A medical helicopter transported a man from a flaming vehicle on Ohio 7 to a hospital early Thursday evening after police say the vehicle became fully engulfed.

“I can’t disclose any injuries to the driver or anything like that, but he was life-flighted as a precaution,” city police Sgt. Beth Scales, who was on the scene, said.

“The driver was traveling north on Route 7, and as he crossed the Aetna Street intersection his vehicle began to smoke and started to catch on fire. The driver was able to get his vehicle off to the side of the road and came to rest on a chain-link fence when the car pretty much burst into flames. The driver was able to get out of his door, and passerbys stopped and helped him get to safety before fire, EMS and police got there,” she said.

Scales said it seemed likely a mechanical error in the vehicle, a 1996 Cadillac, caused the fire. No other vehicles were involved and no other property damage was incurred.

“He did not strike anything … other than coming to rest on a chain-link fence, which was his way of stopping the vehicle as it was catching on fire,” she said.

Scales declined to disclose where the man was flown to.

She added that police and first responders acted quickly to secure the high-traffic area for the safety of the driver and those who stopped to render aid.

“Our first concern is everybody’s safety. We had Good Samaritans who stopped, and we wanted to keep them at a safe distance as our fire trucks rolled to scene,” she said.

Traffic was blocked and detoured through Martins Ferry and Bridgeport while the helicopter landed on Ohio 7. Bridgeport responders also lent aid.

“When an incident like this happens, everybody comes out,” Scales said. “No other injuries. … The Good Samaritans were wonderful. We can’t thank them enough for stopping and assisting to make sure this gentleman was clear of the vehicle.”

This was the second medical helicopter to land on Ohio 7 this week, after an employee at Wendy’s suffered severe burns Tuesday afternoon. That occurred after a vehicle crashed into the building, resulting in the worker being burned by grease from the fryers.

Last Tuesday evening, a man was airlifted from Ohio 7 after suffering an injury in a fall at the Turf Care Supply Corp. off the highway.