A 40-year-old businesswoman who was severely burned during a violent altercation in Whithorn, Westmoreland on Thursday is expected to be transferred to a hospital in Kingston for advanced medical care.
The woman, identified as Dacia Forrester, is currently admitted to the Cornwall Regional Hospital with burns covering approximately 50 per cent of her body.
Two other women involved in the incident have been taken into police custody.
Reports indicate that Forrester went to a gas station in Whithorn, where she became involved in a heated dispute with a pump attendant. It is understood that the parties had been engaged in an ongoing disagreement for more than a week prior to Thursday’s confrontation.
According to allegations, the station’s manager instructed Forrester to leave the premises, and she complied. However, she later returned accompanied by her sister, which reportedly escalated tensions.
During a physical struggle that followed, the pump attendant allegedly poured gasoline on Forrester and used a lighter to ignite the fuel, setting her ablaze.
The fire was eventually extinguished by the gas station owner. During the chaos, it is further alleged that the pump attendant was stabbed by Forrester’s sister.
The attendant received medical treatment and was later taken into custody, along with the sister, as investigations continue.