DEATH VALLEY, Calif. - A 65-year-old man from the San Diego, CA area was found dead in his vehicle in Death Valley National Park on the morning of July 3, 2023. Extreme heat appears to have caused his death.
At 10:01 am, a National Park Service maintenance worker noticed a vehicle about 30 yards off road from North Highway. The maintenance worker walked out to the vehicle and found the man unresponsive. NPS park rangers, Inyo County Sheriff’s Office, and Inyo County Coroner’s Office responded. The man was declared deceased on scene.
The sedan’s tracks ran along the road shoulder and rocky berm before veering further away from the paved road. The vehicle did not crash but had two flat tires when stopped. The initial investigation suggests that heat-related illness may have caused the driver to run off road.
The high temperature the previous day was 126°F. The overnight low temperature was 98°F. The vehicle was found to be operational and was not stuck, however the air-conditioning in the vehicle was not operational. The driver’s window was found down, further indication that the air conditioning was not functioning when the man was driving.
Source: U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service