# 2004 MINI COOPER — UNKNOWN OR OTHER
> **FATAL** · NHTSA complaint `1607659` · 2019-09-30 · BMW of North America, LLC
## Severity
- **Deaths:** 1
- **Injured:** 0
- **Fire:** Yes
- **Crash:** Yes
- **Police report:** Yes
- **Medical attention:** No
- **Vehicle towed:** Yes
## Vehicle
- **Make:** MINI
- **Model:** COOPER
- **Year:** 2004
- **Manufacturer:** BMW of North America, LLC
- **Component:** UNKNOWN OR OTHER
- **Miles at failure:** 135,000
- **Speed:** 15 mph
## Narrative
MY WIFE WAS DRIVING OUR 2004 MINI COOPER HOME TRAVELING UPHILL ON A STEEP PAVED MOUNTAIN ROADWAY TRAVELING A MAXIMUM OF 15 MPH WHEN FOR SOME UNKNOWN REASON THE VEHICLE LEFT THE ROADWAY; STRUCK A TREE WITH ITS LEFT FRONT AND BURST INTO AN EXPLODING FIRE KILLING MY WIFE WHO WAS NOT ABLE TO ESCAPE THE BURNING VEHICLE. THE NC STATE POLICE ARE INVESTIGATING THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE AND DEATH. THEY DO NOT KNOW YET WHETHER THE VEHICLE CAUGHT FIRE PRIOR TO STRIKING THE TREE BUT, FEEL THE FIRE COULD NOT HAVE BEEN CAUSED BY THE VEHICLE STRIKING THE TREE AT A LOW IMPACT AND SPEED. NC MV ACCIDENT REPORT#[XXX]    INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TT
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*Source: [NHTSA ODI](https://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/downloads/) · AI Analytics · CC0 1.0*