Athens man hospitalized after leg catches fire

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By Joe Johnson

An Athens man was recently hospitalized after his mother called 911 to report that his leg was on fire.

The 35-year-old victim apparently had been intoxicated and fell asleep while smoking, according to a police report.

The incident happened last Thursday at Rolling Ridge Apartments off Kathwood Drive, where a woman called 911 at 5:06 p.m. to report that her son’s leg had caught on fire and he was unresponsive.

He was heavily intoxicated when he had come home from work, she said, and after dropping off his belongings went back out onto the front porch to smoke a cigarette.

Another family member soon afterwards came rushing in, yelling about the man’s leg being on fire and that he was unresponsive. The mother called 911 after helping to extinguish the fire.

EMS personnel who responded to the scene were able to verify that the man had a pulse before transporting him to Piedmont Athens Regional Medical Center.