DUNGENESS — A Sequim man was found dead in a burning car that had crashed into a tree.
The Clallam County Sheriff’s Office identified the driver as Gaze J. Durst, 78.
The vehicle was traveling eastbound on Lotzgesell Road near Cays Road, left the roadway and struck a tree, Chief Criminal Deputy Ron Cameron said Wednesday.
The car was so badly burned that its make and model were not immediately known, Cameron said.
The cause of the wreck remains under investigation by the Clallam County Sheriff’s Office Traffic Unit.
Arrangements were being made Wednesday for an autopsy to determine the cause of death, said Mark Nichols, Clallam County chief deputy prosecuting attorney for the office that also serves as the Coroner’s Office.
Clallam County Fire District No. 3 firefighters were dispatched at about
5:30 p.m. Tuesday after a report was received of a tree on fire on Lotzgesell Road.
“While fire units were en route to the scene, secondary 9-1-1 reports stated that a passenger vehicle had struck a tree and was on fire,” said Patrick Young, fire district spokesman.
When firefighters arrived, they found a car engulfed in fire at the base of the tree.
While the fire — which had spread to trees and brush surrounding the car — was being controlled, Durst’s body was found inside the car, Young said.
After a brief search around the crash site, no other people were located.
Cameron said deputies notified Durst’s wife, who lives in Sequim, on Tuesday night and also have talked to a son in Long Beach.
Reporter Arwyn Rice can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5070, or at arwyn.rice@peninsuladailynews.com.
