A hearse driver on her way to a funeral was found dead in the vehicle, with the coffin in the back.

Lt Lincoln Hoshino of Beverly Hills police said authorities were alerted that a woman's body was slumped over the driving seat of the hearse, which had been parked near the Beverly Hills Hotel at about 3pm yesterday.

Lt Hoshino said the investigation was in its early stages but the woman appeared to have died of natural causes, with no weapons or evidence of violence discovered.

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