A 69-year-old Oley Township resident whose body was discovered inside a burned van last week died by suicide, according to an updated report released Tuesday by the Berks County Coroner’s Office.
The update provides additional details following a vehicle fire reported on May 26 in the 4000 block of Friedensburg Road in Oley Township.
According to Berks County Coroner Matthew Stitzel, emergency crews were dispatched at approximately 9:43 a.m. for a vehicle fire. After firefighters extinguished the blaze, a body was found in the rear of the burned van.
The Berks County Coroner’s Office was notified at 10:21 a.m., with personnel arriving on scene at approximately 10:58 a.m.
Following an autopsy, the victim was identified as a 69-year-old Oley Township resident. The coroner determined the cause of death to be thermal burns and smoke inhalation. The manner of death was ruled suicide.
The investigation involved the Berks County Coroner’s Office, the Central Berks Regional Police Department, the Pennsylvania State Police Fire Marshal, and the Oley Fire Company.
No additional information was released.