Chandler PD: Man arrested after driving car into gas pump, causing fire that burned woman

CHANDLER, Ariz. - A two-car collision at a Chandler gas station ignited a huge fire and one woman was burned at the AM/PM just off of Alma School Road and West Chandler Boulevard on Thursday.

Police say the vehicles were engulfed in flames.

The incident happened at 12:50 p.m., and Chandler Police officials say Clemente Torres, who was driving a blue Mustang, pulled up to the pump, paid for the gas, but then realized he was on the wrong side. That's when investigators say he got upset, got back in his car and hit the gas pedal, causing him to spin out. Police say he then hit a Hyundai and a gas pump, igniting it.

Chandler police have identified the man seen in this photo as the suspect, Clemente Torres. (Photo: Robert Waite)

A 77-year-old woman next to the Hyundai was reportedly pumping gas at the time, and she got caught in the fire. Detectives say Torres tried to put the fire out with water and an extinguisher but that didn’t help.

Torres then ran from the scene, but police eventually caught up to him and arrested him.

Clemente Torres

"The fire started because the gas tanks are under the ground and they come up, and you can see behind us, the gas pump was bent over, rupturing gas lines. The collision resulted in a spark and the gas being ignited," said Jason McClimans with Chandler Police.

The woman who was caught in the fire was transported to a hospital with burns, and her condition is unknown as of Thursday afternoon.