Mother recalls horror of deadly car fire in Erwin
By: WROC-TV
Updated: August 16, 2007
The mother of two girls who were killed when the car they were riding in caught fire is talking for the first time. The accident happened on I-86 in the Town of Erwin, near Corning on Tuesday. 25-year old Melissa Johns was driving at the time when she saw flames coming from the back seat. She immediately pulled over and tried to get her 18 month old and 4 week old kids out safely...But it was too late. Johns recalls the horror, "My daughter Izzybella was screaming. Her feet were hot and burning. I pulled over, tried to put the fire out and tried to get my girls out. Some guy came and pulled me away and said you can't. I tried so hard. They were so beautiful."
State police say the cause of the fire was a small hole on the top of the muffler, and a small hole in the floor of the backseat. Hot gas from the exhaust came up through the hole in the backseat of the car, igniting carpeting and other items. The girls, 18-month-old Izzybella Beam and her 3-week-old sister, Sinaya, will be laid to rest tomorrow.
