What’s left of the Newburgh Town police car
GARDNERTOWN – A Town of Newburgh Police officer was treated and
released from St. Luke’s Cornwall Hospital’s Newburgh campusearly Tuesday
morning after the patrol car he was driving exploded.
Police Chief Bruce Campbell said Officer Taso Karabelas was on patrol
in the area of Union Avenue and Gardnertown Road around 6 a.m. when he
smelled smoke and called it into the police station. As he got out of
the car, a Ford Taurus, the trunk exploded and the car went up in flames.
A small oxygen tank was in a medical kit in the trunk, but Campbell said
it is unclear if that is what exploded causing the car to catch fire.
He said no foul play is suspected.
State Police and the ATF are investigating in an effort to determine the
cause.
