A grim discovery was made late Tuesday night when a man was found dead in his vehicle that had plummeted off an embankment along State Route 88 near Apache Junction, Arizona. The Arizona Department of Public Safety said the SUV was located about 150 feet below the roadway, in a rugged area northeast of the city. The incident reportedly occurred just before 9:45 p.m., according to ABC15.
Officials initiated recovery efforts, which stretched into the following morning. The Maricopa County Sheriff's Office, along with DPS troopers, worked together to retrieve the body from the crash site. As of yet, the identity of the deceased has not been released, the cause of the crash and when it exactly occurred, remains shrouded in mystery, AZFamily.com reported.
Authorities are now piecing together the moments that led up to this tragic event to determine what may have caused the vehicle to veer off the road and down the steep embankment. The recovery of the body was confirmed to have taken place Wednesday morning, though the investigation into the accident is ongoing.
The Maricopa County Sheriff's Office has taken the lead in the investigation, with support from DPS officials. No further information regarding potential reasons for the accident has been released, leaving questions unanswered about this fatal turn of events. The Sheriff's Office has not yet indicated whether other vehicles were involved or if there were any witnesses to the crash. Details surrounding the incident remain scant, as the authorities continue their inquiries.
