Girlfriend of car fire victim speaks out

UNIONVILLE, N.C.,None — The girlfriend of a Union County man killed in a car fire is speaking out about his death.

Jamie Schwenk told Eyewitness News she is still struggling with the loss of her 24-year-old boyfriend, Scott McClintock.

Two weeks ago, neighbors near their Unionville home called 911 and reported a fire. They also reported sounds of an explosion. Fire crews found a parked car on fire in the driveway. McClintock was inside.

Fire investigators have not released the cause, but said the fire may have started in the engine compartment of the 2000 Dodge Intrepid.

"It was the worst night of my life and I just couldn't understand, ‘How did it happen? How does a car explode like that?'" Schwenk said.

She said she researched the car and found multiple reports of explosions in that same model. Eyewitness News searched through National Highway Traffic Safety Administration records for the 2000 Dodge Intrepid and found nine different recalls for things like seat belts and service brakes.

There was also an investigation listed that dealt with the car's vehicle speed control, but the investigation closed without finding a safety-related defect.

A non-federal website called Carcomplaints.com showed 143 complaints about the car related to oil sludge resulting from engine failure.

Schwenk is hoping to find answers in the death of her best friend and keep others from going through the same thing.

"I don't want anyone to go through what he went through. He died a tragic death and he did not deserve this," she said.

The exact cause of McClintock's death hasn't been released. He would have been 25 years old on New Year's Eve.

WSOC