Update: Body found in burned SUV in south Richland

Police say a body was found Monday inside a burning SUV that apparently crashed down a sagebrush embankment near the Crested Hills development in south Richland.

The identity of the person was not released Monday and information on how the person died is still under investigation, said Richland Capt. Mike Cobb.

Police and fire crews were called about 1 p.m. when a neighbor spotted what looked like a grass fire near a few homes in the development at the end of Gage Boulevard near Morency Drive.

The SUV was engulfed in flames when officials arrived and small explosions could be heard inside the vehicle, which had landed on its wheels on a dirt walking path.

It’s too early in the investigation to know if any foul play was involved in the death, and it’s unclear how long the SUV was in the area or where it came from, Cobb said.

The case was initially handled by Richland police, but it was outside the city limits so the Benton County Sheriff’s Office is investigating.

This story was originally published November 16, 2015 at 1:53 PM with the headline "Update: Body found in burned SUV in south Richland."