Lincoln County Coroner Bill Demrow issued a press release at midday Wednesday identifying the man found dead in a burned vehicle in Crab Orchard. According to Demrow, the man has been positively identified as Oleksandr "Alex" Tysbulko, a 24 year old native of the Ukraine. Tysbulko was in the US doing an internship at Hagyard Equine Medical Institute in Lexington. Tysbulko was the second death discovered early Sunday morning in the county.
The first death was discovered around 4 a.m. Sunday when sheriff's deputies and Waynesburg Area Rescue personnel responded to a report that Clara Shearer, 25, of Kings Mountain was struck by a mini-van on KY Hwy. 1247. The van, driven by Janie Simpson of Florence, KY, struck Shearer who was reportedly lying in the roadway. Simpson and her passenger, Roy Simpson, were unharmed. Shearer's death is still under investigation and Monday morning, KSP Trooper First Class Chris Lanham said that it had yet to be determined if Shearer was alive when she was run over. An autopsy may help explain what caused Shearer to be in the road. No criminal charges are expected at this time. Less than an hour after the Shearer incident, Lincoln County firefighters responding to a vehicle fire on KY Hwy 39 North in Crab Orchard discovered the burned remains of Tysbulko in the vehicle. Lanham said that Tysbulko was presumed to be the driver of the vehicle and that it appears that he had "burned up his tires" trying to get the vehicle out of a ditch. Firefighters found the man in the back of his vehicle where he apparently went to sleep after failing to get back on the road. Autopsy reports indicate that the man died of smoke inhalation and officials speculated that he may have fallen asleep while smoking. Arson has been ruled out and no foul play is suspected in the man's death.
