HANSVILLE — An afternoon commuter discovered a dead man inside a van parked on the shoulder of a road in Hansville on May 16. The death was determined by sheriff’s deputies to be a suicide.

Kitsap County Sheriff’s deputies were called to the 3400 block of Twin Spits Road in Hansville at 4:38 p.m. after a passerby called 911. The passerby drove by earlier and noticed the van on the side of the road with its brake lights on. He also noticed that the van’s driver was slumped over the driver’s wheel. The passerby turned around and made a couple of passes to check on the driver before determining that something was amiss. He then drove to a nearby job site where he found a phone and called 911, then returned to the scene with two coworkers.

Traffic continued to pass the scene, including a school bus.

One other passerby was flagged down to help ascertain their location and report it to 911 dispatchers.

Deputies arrived to find the van locked and a 64-year-old Sequim man dead in the driver’s seat. A Smith & Wesson .357 magnum was found in his hand.

One bullet hole was left in the windshield. Glass fragments were left on the hood of the van. Deputies believe that the hole was from a test shot, according to a report from the sheriff’s office.

The second shot was fatal. The second bullet left a dent in the roof of the van.

Later inspection discovered two bullets had been fired from the handgun.

— Richard D. Oxley