A Reading man found dead inside a burning vehicle near the Reading-Cumru Township line in March died of thermal burns and smoke inhalation, Berks County Coroner Matthew J. Stitzel said.
The death of Elvin Francisco De La Cruz Martinez, 44, of the 800 block of Chestnut Street has been ruled accidental, Stitzel announced Thursday, noting the investigation had concluded.
An autopsy was performed March 31 by Dr. Neil A. Hoffman, a forensic pathologist.
De La Cruz Martinez’s body was discovered after Reading firefighters put out a vehicle fire in the 1000 block of South Ninth Street on Neversink Mountain on March 29 around 3:20 a.m. The location is in Cumru but is accessible by vehicle only from Reading, according to township police.
Cumru police Chief Madison Winchester previously said investigators believe De La Cruz Martinez was intoxicated and driving recklessly before the vehicle became disabled on the rough mountain terrain and caught fire.
Winchester said police believe the vehicle ran aground as it traveled on South Ninth Street and became disabled, igniting the vehicle because of damage to the undercarriage. De La Cruz Martinez was unable to get out of the vehicle.
Investigators based their conclusions on witness accounts, the condition of the vehicle after the fire and reports to Reading police of a reckless driver shortly before the blaze was discovered.
Winchester said police interviewed people who encountered De La Cruz Martinez shortly before the fire, and they described him as extremely intoxicated.