A vehicle backed into a Nashville gas station lot before dawn Tuesday and burst into flames during what police say was an attempted theft of the store's ATM. Fire crews rushed to the scene on Briarville Road in the Madison neighborhood shortly before 4 a.m., and no injuries were reported.
The vehicle backed into the gas station lot and caught fire while attempting to steal an ATM, according to a Metro Nashville Police Department official cited by WKRN News 2. Nashville fire crews were dispatched to the blaze in Madison, and drivers in the area were urged to exercise caution and watch for emergency vehicles as crews worked the scene.
Details Still Emerging From the Scene
WKRN crews were on the scene gathering more details as the story continued developing Tuesday morning, and the station said it would continue updating its report as new information becomes available. The extent of damage to the station, whether the ATM was actually taken, and any details about the vehicle or the person or people involved had not been confirmed as of the initial report.
Not the First Nashville Gas Station Blaze
Tuesday's fire is at least the third gas station fire to hit the Nashville area in recent memory. Metro firefighters were called to a Citgo station in East Nashville, between Grace Street and Dickerson Pike, after it became engulfed in flames on April 7, according to fox17.com. That fire caused the front of the store's structure to collapse, though no injuries were reported there either.
In a separate incident, a man was caught on camera setting fire to a Kwik Sak station in the 4100 block of Clarksville Pike around 7 p.m. on October 19, as reported by newschannel5.com. Nashville Fire Department arson investigators said the suspect allegedly stole a gas container from a nearby vehicle, doused the back of the building with gasoline and set it ablaze before also attempting to torch the gas pumps and flee. Officials said that fire caused only minimal damage.
No arrests or suspect information had been released in connection with Tuesday's Madison fire as of the initial report. The story remains under investigation, and further details on the cause, extent of damage and any potential charges had not yet been made public.
