Lewiston Man Fatally Burned While Working On His Car

A Lewiston man died on Saturday after being badly burned while working on his vehicle.

Public Safety spokesman Steve McCausland says 57-year-old Gary Labonte was in the process of replacing the fuel pump when the accident happened. He was draining the gasoline tank in his car when an electric spark from the pump he was using to remove the gas caused it to explode. The incident happened on the lawn outside the apartment house at 16 Cottage Street, where he lived. Labonte was standing next to four gas cans he was using to store the drained fuel when the explosion happened and he was engulfed in flames.

Neighbors administered first aid until Labonte could be taken to the hospital. He was first taken to Central Maine Medical Center in Lewiston before being transferred to Maine Medical Center in Portland, where he later died.