Transport Canada investigating Smart car fire on Ottawa highway

Transport Canada said it has launched an investigation into a Smart car that burst into flames on an Ottawa roadway earlier this month and sent its driver into a panic.

Aurlie Rossier, 34, was alone and heading west on Highway 417 near BronsonAvenue on Oct. 18 when the interior of the 2008 Smart Fortwo she was driving suddenly filled with smoke. After she pulledover and calledfor help, the car caught firewith flames shootinginto the air.

• Smart car model under investigation bursts into flames on Highway 417

"I couldn't see the road anymore. I couldn't breathe," Rossier told CBC News in French. "To see a car burned like this, it was really crazy for me. I was really, really scared."

Witnesses reported seeing flames coming from the back of the car, which is where the Smart car engines are located.

In an emailto the CBC, the federal agency responsible for transportation said it has opened an investigation after being contacted by the car's owner.

Government asking drivers to call tip line

The email said it is aware of two other Smart car fires one involving a 2008 model Smart car, which was not due to a safety defect, and another one that happened in 2010, the cause of which remains undetermined, according to Transport Canada spokeswomanAnnie Joannette.

"To enable Transport Canada to investigate and identify potential vehicle safety defects, vehicle owners and insurance companies are encouraged to contact the defect investigation hotline at 1-800-333-0510, if they suspect a safety defect issue," Joannettewrote in the email.

Rossierhad been borrowing the car from a friend, Aaron Matharu, at the time of the fire. Matharusaid he was told by Transport Canada that his car would be taken to a facility in Gatineau. He reported the incident to Transport Canada himself, and learnedthat neither Mercedes-Benz nor the insurance company had contacted the department about it.

It's not the first time a Smart car has been investigated for catching fire.The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is investigating several unexplained fires in Smart cars.

A preliminary investigation of eight complaints of alleged engine compartment fires has so far identified 27 incidents. Authorities in the U.S. could recommend a recall of the vehicles if a safety-related defect is found.