May 23, 2013
A man is dead from severe burns after authorities say he accidentally drank gasoline and later set himself on fire.
Dead is Gary Banning, who neighbors say was visiting a friend at an apartment on Roosevelt Road in Havelock.
Police say they got a call around 9:55 p.m. and found the 43-year-old man with severe burns. He was transported to the Jaycee Burn Center in Chapel Hill where he died Tuesday morning around 6:00 a.m.
Police say they learned Banning had accidentally drank gasoline earlier in the day. He spit it out onto his clothing, but never changed clothes. Later in the evening, police believe Banning was smoking a cigarette, started to doze off when the fire accidentally erupted.
Havelock police say alcohol was involved and drugs possibly involved.
They say earlier in the day someone at the apartment was using gasoline to clean grease off their hands and left a glass jar containing gasoline on the kitchen counter.
Police say their investigation is ongoing.
