Township shaken as body found in burned-out car

A motorist discovered the car burning beside the Southern Scenic Route highway. Picture / Otago Daily Times.

Police in Otago are treating the discovery of a body in a burned-out car as suspicious.

"There doesn't appear to be any reason why a late-model car should go on fire on its own," said Senior Sergeant Lane Todd, of Balclutha.

"It's too early to say whether an accelerant has been used. We do know the registered owner of the vehicle is not a smoker."

Mr Todd said the incident was being treated as suspicious because the vehicle had not been involved in an accident.

He said the late-model Mitsubishi Lancer had been parked in a lay-by on the Southern Scenic Route and was discovered burning about 8am by a passing motorist.

Residents in Owaka were shaken to hear of the discovery of the body 3km south of the township.

Mr Todd said the vehicle was registered to an Owaka resident but it would take two to three days for the police to confirm the identity of the body.

"The deceased may not be the owner of the vehicle. Identification will most likely be done through dental records."

Some Owaka residents were concerned about the suspicious nature of the fire.

Anna Davidson said she was horrified by the incident and it had hit the tight-knit community hard.

"We haven't had anything confirmed yet and people in the community are remaining tight-lipped about it," she said.

"If the person is who we think it is, it's a huge tragedy and it's got everyone in the community pretty shaken up. He was young and he had a lot going for him."

Mr Todd said 14 police officers would now be assigned to the investigation and would liaise with members of the Institute of Environmental Science and Research who flew down from Auckland last night to investigate the scene.

They would determine the cause of the car fire and establish whether the person died before the fire.

It was hoped poor weather in the area would not hamper or disturb forensic investigations. Mr Todd said a marquee would be brought in to cover the scene.

A 2km stretch of the Southern Scenic Route south of Owaka had been closed and traffic had been diverted. He said the road would remain closed until scene investigations were completed.

- OTAGO DAILY TIMES