2 found dead inside running car on Whitley County highway

WHITLEY COUNTY, Ky. (FOX 56) — An investigation is underway in Whitley County after deputies found two dead inside a parked car.

According to the sheriff’s office, deputies were notified of a “suspicious vehicle” around 11:10 a.m. on March 30 near the intersection of Kentucky Highway 92 West and 2792.

The caller reported seeing a gray Chevy Malibu stopped in the middle of the roadway, and the driver appeared unconscious behind the wheel. Deputies said when they arrived, the engine was running, and the two inside were deceased.

The driver was later identified as 60-year-old George Glenn Gaertner, and Surja M. Gaertner, 60, was in the passenger seat.

Wayne County Sheriff’s deputies reported recovering a handgun during the investigation.

An autopsy will be conducted at the Kentucky State Medical Examiner’s Office in Frankfort.

The investigation is ongoing.