A California Highway Patrol officer stopped a car for speeding on Highway 65 Tuesday morning and found a dead man in the passenger seat.
According to Bakersfield, just before 7a.m., the officer pulled over the car near James Road and discovered it had been reported stolen from Los Angeles County.
The officer requested help from the CHP and from the Kern County Sheriff's Office.
After detaining the two other men in the vehicle, officers found the dead man in one of the passenger seats. He appeared to have suffered some kind of an injury.
The Sheriff's homicide unit was called to the scene and assumed the investigation.
The investigation is ongoing. The identity of the victim is being withheld pending notification of the next of kin.