Burning Car Victim Did Not Die From Costa Mesa Freeway Crash, CMPD Says

A man who died inside a burning car near Newport Beach did not die from the crash according to initial reports. The victim found in a burning car on an embankment of the Costa Mesa (55) Freeway in Costa Mesa earlier this month. On Thursday, authorities worked to determine the exact cause of death.

"The body of a male was found about 12:15 a.m., Sept. 5, in a burning 1995 white Honda Civic sedan on the southbound side of the freeway near the Route 73 connector," Roxi Fyad of the Costa Mesa Police Department said.

The victim's name, age, have not yet been released pending notification of family, Fyad said. "Authorities have been able to identify the victim through DNA," Fyad said.

The victim was pronounced dead at the scene, though the cause of death remains pending, awaiting autopsy results, according to Fyad.

The California Highway Patrol, which initially investigated the death, contacted Costa Mesa police on Sept. 6 regarding the victim because it did not appear he died from crash-related injuries, Fyad said.

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