Car catches fire in Newport after hitting and killing deer

NEWPORT – A car struck and killed deer early Tuesday morning, and then the car caught fire, according to police.

The accident occurred shortly before 6 a.m. on Route 7 just south of the Corinna town line. Newport police Officer Craig Johnson was about 100 yards from the accident, within earshot, according to town officials. Johnson heard the squealing of the tires and was the responding officer.

The fire burned the 1991 Saab driven by Luke Humphrey, 38, of Pittsfield, although no information about whether he was injured was available. The car was considered a total loss, Sgt. Sanger Davis of the Newport Police Department said Tuesday evening.

About a half-dozen firefighters from the Newport Fire Department arrived at the scene at 6:14 a.m., about 17 minutes after they were first paged.

Fire Chief Fred Hickey said that firefighters got to the scene as fast as they could. The first firefighter at the station called for a truck and manpower from Corinna to assist while waiting for a Newport crew to arrive, Hickey said.

The burning car was closer to the Corinna town line than the Newport fire department station, he said.