TOO HOT TO HANDLE

Apparent Death Valley Heat Victim Found Dead in Car With Flat Tires

A day before the man was found dead in his car, a temperature of 126 degrees was recorded.

A California man was found dead in his car from an apparent heat-related illness as blast-furnace temperatures rattled Death Valley National Park over the weekend, park officials said. The man, 65, was discovered on Monday morning by a maintenance worker who noticed his vehicle a few dozen yards off the road, according to a park service news release. Officials believe the vehicle’s air-conditioning was not working, and a heat-related illness caused the man to run off the road. The car had not crashed, but it did have two flat tires, the release said. The previous day’s highest temperature in the park was recorded at 126 degrees Fahrenheit. The overnight low temperature was 98 degrees. Monday set a dire new record as the hottest day in the Earth’s recorded history, according to initial measurements.