(St. Joseph County, MI) – A Starke County man died in a fiery car crash south of South Bend over the weekend.

According to the St. Joseph County Sheriff’s Department, officers responded to a single-vehicle crash near the intersection of Kern and Fir Roads around midnight Saturday.

Initial reports indicated the male driver was out of the vehicle and refusing medical assistance. However, upon arrival, first responders found that the vehicle was on fire with the driver still inside. Downed live wires on top of the vehicle made it unsafe for officers, fire crews, and medics to approach until AEP arrived and secured the scene.

Once the wreckage was made safe, the body of 40-year-old Joseph Rush was found inside. Rush was the car’s only occupant.