By PATRICK JOHNSON
pjohnson@repub.com

SPRINGFIELD - A motorist suffered critical injuries Wednesday afternoon when he apparently caught on fire while driving north on Interstate 91 near Exit 3, officials said.

Witnesses report seeing the man dive out of his car in flames while the vehicle continued down the road before crashing, officials said.

The driver, whose identity was not released, suffered burns to an estimated 90 percent of his body, said Fire Department spokesman Dennis G. Leger. The man was taken by ambulance to Baystate Medical Center, Leger said.

See related photo, earlier version of story.

State police were called to the scene just after 3:30 p.m. for a reported car fire.

State police released little information on the incident Wednesday night.

A spokesman with the Massachusetts State Police office of media relations referred questions to the state police Crime Prevention and Control Unit assigned to the Hampden County district attorney's office.

Leger said firefighters were called to what was reported as a car fire. The car was found empty along the side of the road, while the driver was found suffering from serious burns close to 250 feet down the road, he said.

After the driver dove out, the 1992 Ford Crown Victoria, continued down the highway, striking a guardrail and careening across three lanes of traffic. It slammed into a concrete abutment and came to rest on the side of the road where it continued to burn.

Traffic in both lanes of the highway was shut down temporarily to allow state police and emergency responders to reach the scene.

Both lanes were backed up for miles and was not flowing normally for several hours.

Exit 3 leads to East Columbus Avenue in the South End of Springfield and to the Julia B. Buxton Bridge heading to Agawam and West Springfield.