EXPLOSION, SUV FIRE; REMAINS FOUND INSIDE

HARLAN -- The remains of a body were discovered in a vehicle in southwest Harlan late Tuesday night, Nov. 28 following an explosion and vehicle fire in the back yard of a residence along Ridgeway Drive.
    Shelby County Sheriff reports indicate at approximately 11:18 p.m., the Harlan Police Department, Medivac Ambulance, Harlan Fire Department and the sheriff’s office were dispatched to 4025 Ridgeway Dr. on a report of an explosion and fire.  When officers arrived they located a vehicle next to a shed in the back yard, both fully engulfed in flames.  After the fire was extinguished, human remains were found inside the vehicle.  The remains are being sent to the state medical examiner’s office for identification and cause of death.
    Initial investigation has determined that the vehicle was traveling northbound on Highway 59 when it left the roadway near the intersection of Hawkeye Ave.  The vehicle then traveled across the grass area before striking several trees, going down an incline and making a sharp turn before coming to rest inches from the shed.  The vehicle then came to rest next to the shed where both caught fire.