DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – A van burst into flames outside the Daytona Beach Police Department headquarters early Wednesday, killing a 55-year-old Lake City man, authorities said.
According to police, the 2003 Ford van pulled into the parking lot of the police department’s main office around 2 a.m. Wednesday.
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Officers inside the building heard a loud noise and then saw that the van was on fire, News4JAX’s sister station WKMG in Orlando reported.
The man was on fire when he got out of the van and collapsed in the parking lot, police said, and he died at the scene.
Fire crews put out the fire. Investigators are working to determine the cause of the fire, but the Police Department said the initial investigation indicates it was not due to a mechanical issue inside the van.
The state fire marshal’s office is assisting the police department with the investigation.
The man’s name has not been made public, but police said he was taken to a hospital under the Baker Act three times in 2019. Police also said he previously threatened to blow up the FBI building in Jacksonville.
The FBI sent News4JAX the following statement:
“The FBI Jacksonville Daytona Beach Resident Agency is in contact with the DBPD and providing further assistance as needed in their ongoing investigation. No further details can be confirmed at this time pending confirmation of the identity of the deceased individual. We defer to DBPD for further updates.”