PARSIPPANY — Parsippany-Troy Hills Police Patrolmen Farms, Seeger, and Van Orden responded to the parking lot of 1055 Parsippany Boulevard on a report of a vehicle fire, on December 29 at approximately 2:40 p.m.
Upon arrival, Officer Van Orden observed a man, Richard Ziccarello, 64, Whippany, walking around near his vehicle, a 1990 Blue Dodge Dakota Pickup Truck, and the cab of the vehicle was visibly on fire.
The officer demanded the victim away from his vehicle which quickly became fully engulfed in flames.
Ptl. Van Orden asked the victim what happened and he stated he activated the heat to his vehicle and, in doing so, he believed he heard leaves being sucked into the vehicle’s heater core.
Soon after the vehicle began to smoke when he pulled over in the parking lot of 1055 Parsippany Boulevard.
Parsippany-Troy Hills Volunteer District No. 6 Fire Company was dispatched, responded, and quickly extinguished the flames in and around the vehicle’s fire.
District No. 6 Fire Co. deemed the scene safe and cleared the scene.
As the vehicle was off of the roadway and in a private parking lot, the victim stated he would make his own arrangements to have the vehicle removed.
