California man found dead from heat-related illness in Death Valley

A man was found dead in his car by a National Park Service maintenance worker in Death Valley National Park on Monday morning.

The 65-year-old man from San Diego was found unresponsive about 30 yards off the road from North Highway in a sedan. After park service rangers, Inyo County Sheriff’s Office and the Inyo County Coroner’s Office responded, the man was declared dead on scene, according to a park service release.

The car did not crash, but was found with two flat tires, the park service said. An initial investigation says the driver may have run off the road due to heat-related illness.

Temperatures on Sunday reached 126 degrees, according to National Weather Service data.

Though the car was operational, the air conditioning in the car was not functioning, and the driver’s window was found down, the park service said.

The name of the man was not shared in the release.

Contact Taylor Lane at tlane@reviewjournal.com. Follow @tmflane on Twitter.