Car fire disrupts man’s already-gloomy day near county building

Theodis Richmond had a tough day Wednesday.

The St. Louis man’s car caught on fire outside the St. Clair County Building as he was parking for his court appearance over custody of his daughter.

Belleville Fire Department Chief Tom Pour said firefighters had the fire out within 10 minutes. The car was behind the building on South First Street.

Richmond called 911 at 12:48 p.m. His court appointment was scheduled for 1:30 p.m.

Richmond said the 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix recently had brake work and new mounts put on. He’s had the vehicle for about nine months.

“I’ve really been having a bad day,” he laughed, joking that perhaps the Belleville Fire Department could take him away along with the vehicle.

This story was originally published September 27, 2017 at 1:34 PM with the headline "Car fire disrupts man’s already-gloomy day near county building."