An investigation is underway after a man was found dead on the side of a busy Birmingham road.

Shortly before 6:30 p.m. Thursday, West Precinct officers received a call of a person possibly dead across the the street from Chevron at 490 Forestdale Boulevard.

Officers arrived to find an adult white male dead. He was in a grassy area just feet from the road.

Officer Truman Fitzgerald said it’s too soon to determine if foul play was involved in the man’s death.

“The victim has been here for some time,” Fitzgerald said. “We do not know the victim’s cause of death.”

The Jefferson County Coroner’s Office will take possession of the body to try to confirm and identity as well as the cause and mannter of death.

“If there was a crime committed, our homicide investigators will investigate this and we’ll update the public as it unfolds,” he said.

Fitzgerald said there are recognizable features that will help determine the man’s identity. He did not elaborate and did not yet know if he was carrying identification.

Fitzgerald said the man could be middle-aged.

Anyone with information is asked to call police at 205-254-1764 or Crime Stoppers at 205-254-7777.