A fire broke out just before 5 p.m. Sunday after Bob Durey's car crashed into the front of his garage in Munson Township, destroying the structure. His wife heard a loud bang, saw the lights flicker inside their Bean Road home and went outside, where she found the garage engulfed in flames.
The state fire marshal's office is investigating the fire's cause, according to News 5 Cleveland. Durey was found dead in the backseat of his car. His family said his dog, Pappy, was in the backseat beside him.
What the Fire Marshal Investigates
The Ohio State Fire Marshal's Fire and Explosion Investigations Bureau says its role includes investigating the origin and cause of fires in Ohio, according to the Ohio Department of Commerce, Division of State Fire Marshal. That description does not establish what caused this fire or the crash, and it does not specify an evidentiary threshold for identifying a fire's origin and cause.
A Frantic Night On Bean Road
The fire broke out just before 5 p.m. Sunday, as Bob was headed home from his son's house. When his wife couldn't reach him by phone, she called their son, Robert Durey. He rushed to the scene and saw the garage up in flames. After firefighters knocked down the flames, he saw his father's car crashed into the garage.
Robert Durey described the scene as firefighters worked to control the blaze: “It was horrific.” By the time crews had the fire under control, the garage was destroyed, and Bob's toolboxes were left among the burned-out rubble, according to the same News 5 Cleveland report.
Family Believes He May Have Had A Heart Attack
Durey's family believes he may have suffered a medical emergency before the crash. “We believe he may have had a heart attack,” Robert Durey said, according to News 5 Cleveland. The cause of the fire itself remains under investigation.
The family said Bob had planned to work on his wife's car. His son described him as a mechanic for nearly all of his life and said he loved working on anything with an engine.
Seeking Closure And Financial Help
Robert Durey described his father as his best friend and said he wants to piece together what happened that evening to find closure, according to News 5 Cleveland.
The family is hoping to raise money to replace the car destroyed in the fire and to help cover funeral costs. Bob would have turned 58 later this month, as reported by News 5 Cleveland.
Investigators have not announced a cause for this fire. In 2021, a separate Geauga County fire that killed three people also had an undetermined cause at the time of a Cleveland 19 report.
