Man found dead in burned car IDed

ELLSWORTH, Wis. (AP) - Authorities say a man who was found dead in a burned car in western Wisconsin was stuck in a snow bank when the vehicle caught fire.

A statement from the Pierce County Sheriff's Department on Monday says 46-year-old Jeffrey Dennis Matthews, of Hager City, was driving on his parents' property near Hager City. He says the evidence shows Matthews was turning around when his car became stuck.

Family members told investigators Matthews would have remained in the vehicle and waited for help since overnight temperatures were in the teens. But at some point a fire started in the engine compartment and Matthews never got out.

His car was found Saturday morning after the fire was out.

Nobody lives on the property, but there are storage buildings there.