Body discovered in burning vehicle northeast of Lawrence

A charred spot along N. 1650 Road, just east of the Lawrence city limit, is pictured Monday, July 3, 2017. On Sunday night, a Douglas County sheriff's deputy discovered a body inside a burning vehicle that apparently had left the roadway. The incident remained under investigation Monday.

A Douglas County sheriff’s deputy found a body inside a burning vehicle Sunday night just northeast of Lawrence.

While on patrol, the deputy discovered the vehicle on fire shortly after 9 p.m. Sunday in the 1600 block of North 1650 Road, Sgt. Kristen Channel said. The vehicle apparently had left the roadway and struck an unoccupied farm truck, Channel said.

As of Monday, authorities had not yet confirmed the identity of the body found inside the vehicle, or determined what caused the vehicle to leave the roadway, Channel said.

The sheriff’s office investigation into the incident is ongoing, Channel said.

The burned vehicle had been removed from the scene Monday morning. Tire marks and a patch of charred grass and ashes were visible on the south side of the roadway, behind a parked truck.