THE young man whose body was found in a burning car in Dublin yesterday appears to have died accidentally, gardai believe.
There was "no evidence of foul play" nor did the death appear to have been a suicide, they said.
The burning car was discovered at about 6 a.m. yesterday in an open area in Donnybrook where several lanes intersect at Mulberry Villas, about 100 metres from the fire station.
Initial indications from a post mortem carried out yesterday afternoon were that the man died from smoke inhalation.
From the car's chassis number gardai believe they have discovered the identity of the man, but no name was released until his identity was confirmed and relatives contacted.
A Garda source said they thought the body might be that of a Mr Barry but his identity could not be confirmed until an examination of dental records and other tests were completed.
The car had been parked with its front close to the gable wall of a house. Residents told gardai they had heard its engine running early in the morning and between 5.30 a.m. and 6 a.m., it appeared to run more loudly.
Shortly before 6 a.m. a passer by saw the car was on fire and alerted gardai and the fire brigade. When they arrived the car was in flames and they could not open the doors to reach the body of a man in the front seat.
Later some blood was found on the ground not far away, suggesting that a fight had taken place. A local resident, however, satisfied investigating gardai that it was his blood which came from a finger cut when he helped move other cars away from the burning vehicle to allow a fire engine to gain access. Officers believe the most likely explanation for the death is that the man returned to the car early on Sunday morning after a long evening's entertainment, turned on the engine to run the heater, and then fell asleep. The engine overheated, the car burst into flames and he was overcome by smoke before he could escape. The death, however, is regarded as "suspicious" until the exact circumstances are known.
The car was completely destroyed and the body was badly burned.
The car was towed away at 3 p.m. after the body had been examined in the car by Dr John Harbison, the State Pathologist who conducted the post mortem.