The car's door was open and it had been sitting on the shoulder of a dirt track at Lake Macquarie, near Newcastle, for a while when a pair of metal collectors decided to take a closer look.
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They discovered the shell of the burnt-out Ford ute, parked just off Archery Road at Wakefield, held a terrible secret – the remains of a badly-charred body on the driver's seat.
Mystery continues to surround the grisly discovery on Thursday morning, as detectives work to identify the remains before attempting to get to the bottom of how they ended up there.
The death remains classified as suspicious, if only because the cause of death is unknown.
Whether it will become a murder investigation or a coroner's report following an accidental death or suicide will only become clear following more investigation.
Lake Macquarie detectives were keeping tight-lipped, although it is understood they were still attempting to confirm an identity for the remains on Thursday, as well as any possible next-of-kin.
That investigation also includes attempting to identify the owner of the car and looking through missing persons files.
Once they confirm the identity of the body, the rest of the puzzle may become easier to put together.
Like the selection of the location – the utility was parked on the shoulder of a dirt track called Archery Road which, although just 80 metres from the M1 Motorway, is remote and nearly one kilometre from the nearest crossroad, Wakefield Drive.
It is not a busy road, but it is used often enough for police to believe the utility and body had been there from possibly as early as Sunday.
There is a gate to a property just a few metres away, and the area is strewn with illegally dumped rubbish.
The body was discovered about 10.40am on Thursday by a couple of men who had been scouring the area looking for discarded steel and other items.
It is understood they had seen the car parked there for some time before deciding to take a look.
The door was open, but it was not until they neared the wreck that they realised the remains were inside.
Police were called and a crime scene was established before forensic investigators spent several hours scouring the area for clues.
Lake Macquarie duty officer Inspector Murray Lundberg said it was too early to speculate on how the person had died.
An autopsy on the remains could be conducted as early as Friday.
Information should be forwarded to Lake Macquarie detectives at Belmont police station on 4922 8899 or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
Lifeline 13 11 14
