Jefferson man’s death ruled accidental

WASHINGTON – There was no indication of foul play in the death of a 61-year-old Jefferson man whose body was found Wednesday outside his burned-out car in a gravel pit in this town, authorities said.

The state medical examiner’s office said Thomas Raye died of burns and suffocation from inhalation of sand.

Raye’s death and the fire that began in the car’s engine have been ruled accidental, according to Stephen McCausland, spokesman for the state Public Safety Department.

Raye, the cousin of state Sen. Kevin Raye, was suffering from a rare and incurable neurological disorder and had difficulty walking. He slipped out of his house Monday morning and drove off in his family’s car.

State police and the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Department conducted a search that ended when a Maine Warden Service plane spotted the car in a gravel pit.