SAN ANTONIO – UPDATE 5/27/19
A man found dead last week behind the wheel of his car had a gunshot wound to the neck, according to Bexar Medical Examiner's Office.
Police initially suspected foul play because the man was found with a suspicious injury to the upper body after he crashed his convertible car at a slow speed into a bus stop bench on San Pedro Avenue near Ashby Place, according to police reports.
His death was ruled a "sudden death" at the scene.
The driver is identified as Alexander Alvarado, 42, whose death is ruled a homicide, according to Bexar Medical Examiner's Office.
San Antonio police are unavailable for comment because of the Memorial Day holiday.
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San Antonio police say they have ruled out homicide in the death of a driver who was found with injuries inside a crashed car near downtown.
Due to those injuries, police initially suspected foul play.
A passerby noticed the white convertible, which had crashed into a bus stop bench on San Pedro Avenue near Ashby Place, after 3 a.m. Friday.
Paramedics who arrived at the scene moved the driver into a San Antonio College student parking lot and attempted to revive him.
“The individual was found in the vehicle, deceased. And obviously, for medical reasons they took him out so that they could perform, attempt to save his life with CPR,” said Lt. Robert Vara with the SAPD.
Their attempts, though, were unsuccessful.
The driver, who appeared to be in his 30s, already was dead.
“The individual had actually crashed into several items in the street before the car came to rest there at the location where you see it,” Vara said.
According to a preliminary police report, the car was traveling at a slow speed and crashed into the bus stop bench, causing only minor damage to it and the car itself.
Vara said the man appeared to have some sort of injuries to his upper body that raised suspicions.
Homicide detectives were called out to investigate, but later determined there was no foul play involved.
Police labeled the case a “sudden death.”
They said it will be up to the medical examiner to determine how the man died.