Mail carrier saves letters from Postal Service truck that caught fire in Melville

A fire destroyed a Postal Service truck in Melville Wednesday afternoon, but the mail carrier was able to save all of the letters that were on board.

News 12 Staff

Aug 18, 2022, 2:27 AM

Updated 841 days ago

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A fire destroyed a Postal Service truck in Melville Wednesday afternoon, but the mail carrier was able to save all of the letters that were on board.
Mail carrier Patricia Kee, who has been delivering mail for 23 years, says she was just doing her job of delivering the letters to their recipients when flames consumed the front of the vehicle on Spagnoli Road.
"I dropped off the mail - when I turned around, I said, 'Oh my God, my truck is smoking,' Kee says.
Chris Polzella, of Empire Today, works in the business Kee was delivering mail to when the fire broke out.
He says the truck was overheating and then flames started from underneath and the truck caught fire.
Kee protected her customers' parcels and got them all out before they were destroyed.
"I just did what I was supposed to do, protect the mail, do the job," Lee says.
When the fire was put out, Kee was safe, and all of the mail was transported onto a new truck. She continued on her route for the day.
"I actually delivered the mail to one of the firemen who is my customer, and he said, 'Patty, you OK?,' and I said, 'Sure,' and gave him a big hug and thanked him for all his hard work."
Kee describes Wednesday as just another day of work.