Police are investigating the discovery of a man’s body found inside the Mercedes work van Monday evening at a convenience store on Ringgold Road.

East Ridge police have identified the body of a man  discovered in a work van at a Ringgold Road convenience store early Monday evening.

According to a department press release, the body is that of 31-year-old Andrey Viktorovic Tkachenko. A preliminary investigation has revealed that Tkachenko had an established history of prescription drug use/abuse.

Officials said the cause of death is pending further investigation.

Police, who were called to the scene at about 6:45 p.m., The Mercedes work van had been near the gas pumps at the Stop-N-Go at 3984 Ringgold Road for several hours partially blocking the pumps at the store. A witness said he became curious that the van had not moved and went to investigate.

The witness, John Clinton, whose extended family owns and operates the Olive Branch restaurant located next door to the convenience store, said he approached the van and looked inside the passenger side window and nobody was in the seat. Clinton said he notified several East Ridge firefighters who were in the Japanese restaurant next door.

“I told them that the van had been there for a long time and that they may need to do a welfare check,” Clinton said. 

He said the firefighters approached the van knocked and then opened both passenger and driver side doors. The firefighters, Clinton said, immediately got on their radios and brought medical bags over to the van.

Officials with the Hamilton County Medical Examiner’s officer were called to the scene and pronounced the man dead.