A Florida woman was left with serious burns after a stranger allegedly walked up and set her alight with a lighter while she was pumping petrol, in what police describe as a seemingly random attack. Eleanor Crawford, 41, is accused of igniting the fuel around Christine Sherbuk's Volvo SUV at a St Petersburg petrol station on a Thursday evening, causing a fireball that engulfed the vehicle and burned Sherbuk's arms and back. The case has alarmed local police, who called it a highly unusual crime given the severity of the injuries caused.

Sherbuk, 41, suffered second-degree burns and was taken to Tampa General Hospital's trauma centre, where she was stabilised and is expected to survive. A passer-by, Scotty Gramling, helped her into his truck and called emergency services after witnessing the "fireball"; he had earlier reported Crawford's involvement in an unrelated altercation nearby, meaning police were already responding when the attack occurred. Crawford, who did not know the victim, was arrested about 20 minutes later and has been charged with attempted murder and two counts of arson; she is being held on $350,000 (£275,000) bail with a GPS monitor ordered ahead of any release. Police say Crawford has a lengthy history of drug- and alcohol-related offences, though no motive has been confirmed and the investigation continues.