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U.S. NEWS Friday 23 February 2018

Mayor: Driver crashed car into hospital, set himself on fire

MIDDLETOWN, Conn. (AP) show he has numerous
— A man with a history of convictions, including for
violent behavior intention- assault, attempted assault
ally crashed a car filled with and strangulation. He was
gasoline containers into a sentenced in 2014 to 33
Connecticut hospital emer- months in prison. Police at
gency room on Thursday the time said he attempt-
and then set himself on fire, ed to strangle a woman in
authorities said. June 2013 with plastic bags
The driver, 27-year-old Ste- after telling her she had
ven Ellam, of Middletown, sinned, had to repent and
was critically burned in the was going to die.
crash and fire at Middlesex Police Chief William McKen-
Hospital in Middletown. He na said they did not have
was flown about 40 miles a motive for Thursday's ac-
(64 km) to Bridgeport Hos- tions, but were confident El-
pital, where he was being lam acted alone.
treated in the burn unit. "I want the public to know
Middletown Mayor Dan that this has been deter-
Drew said the car con- mined to be an isolated
tained cans of flammable incident," he said. "Middle-
liquid, which were being town is safe."
examined. About 30 patients and 20
"The bomb squads were staff members were evacu- FBI and bomb squad approach a home at 66 Milardo Lane in Middletown, Conn., as part of an
there. But that was out of ated from the emergen- investigation into a car that was driven into Middlesex Hospital Thursday, Feb. 22, 2018. A driver
intentionally crashed a car filled with gasoline containers into a Connecticut hospital emergency
an abundance of caution, cy department after the room Thursday and set himself on fire, authorities said.
not because we had any crash, which happened at (John Woike/Hartford Courant via AP)
information that anything the walk-in entrance. The
was wired or connected," only other injury was a se- he got out of the vehicle, homes in the neighborhood area around the emer-
said Drew. "In a situation curity guard who was treat- police said. Fire, police and where the driver lives while gency department, which
like this, it's incumbent on us ed for smoke inhalation, bomb crews quickly re- searching his residence, remained closed Thursday
to make sure every contin- Drew said. sponded to the scene and but there was no immedi- evening.
gency is explored." The front of the car burst firefighters extinguished the ate indication of a bomb Hospital officials said all pa-
Ellam is well-known to au- into flames and the driver blaze. at either location. tients at the hospital were
thorities. Court records set himself on fire before Authorities evacuated Police also evacuated an safe. q

Judge convicts man in 1980

killing that baffled officials

By PATRICK WHITTLE jogging, and her body
PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — A was found two days later
judge found a 57-year-old behind the athletic fields
man guilty Thursday of a of a high school, clothed
murder that baffled author- only in socks and running
ities in Maine for nearly four shoes. She had been beat-
decades and at one time en to death. On Thursday,
looked like a cold case that McLain's mother Pamela
would never be resolved. McLain expressed relief at
Philip Scott Fournier was the verdict while talking
charged in 2016 with killing to reporters outside court.
16-year-old Joyce McLain She stated that she doesn't
in East Millinocket in 1980. hate Fournier and would
Superior Court Justice Ann meet with his family if they
Murray issued the ver- wanted. “It took 37½ years
dict in a packed Bangor and you’ll never see a hap-
courtroom. McLain disap- pier mother than this one
peared while she was out right here,” she said.q