Police: No signs of foul play in death of man found on fire

ATLANTA — Atlanta police are investigating the death of a man in a wheelchair who was found on fire in southwest Atlanta.

The incident happened at about 5 p.m. Saturday. Channel 2's Ashley Swann spoke with witnesses who say they saw smoke and heard calls for help coming from a wooded area next to a Family Dollar store on Metropolitan Parkway.

"Somebody's down there. He's on fire, he's on fire. He was just hollering. He was just hollering," Melvin Swinger recounted.

Marty Franklin said, "There was six or seven people trying to save him but the flames were so great they couldn't save him."

Atlanta fire rescue crews just happened to be across the street. They responded within two minutes, but it was too late.

"The wheelchair was engulfed in fire. It was like he had tried to get out of the wheelchair and he was laying on the ground," said Swinger.

"The trees and everything was involved. He was not alive when we extinguished him," said Atlanta Fire Rescue Capt. Sean Johnson.

The medical examiner and crime scene investigators spent hours processing the scene, including what was left of the man's motorized wheelchair. No obvious signs of arson or foul play were found.

"We don't know what the cause or manner is at this point. We will be seeking those answers," said Atlanta Police Lt. Paul Guerrucci.

"It's just awful. It just breaks my heart," said Franklin.

"It was horrible. Pray for his family, and hopefully they find out what happened," said Swinger.

The man's body is now with the medical examiner. Police hope to get a report tomorrow. In the meantime, samples of the area where the fire took place have been sent to the Georgia Bureau of Investigations for analysis.