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Here's an official answer from Robert Kirkman:

• Severe brain trauma from car crash pileup.
• Another brain damage that killed them.
• Already zombies that got killed somehow.

From The Walking Dead's Glen Mazzara Addresses Frequently Asked Questions From the Fans:

Robert Kirkman answered this in Issue 95 of the comic. Robert says, "Any non zombie corpses you saw on the highway either suffered severe brain trauma in a car crash that resulted in that pileup, or had another brain damaging event that killed them. They could have even been zombies in the car for awhile -- until someone came along and killed them. We were well aware of the coming reveal when we wrote those scenes early in the season (Season 2)."

Here's an official answer from Robert Kirkman:

• Severe brain trauma from car crash pileup.
• Another brain damage that killed them.
• Already zombies that got killed somehow.

From The Walking Dead's Glen Mazzara Addresses Frequently Asked Questions From the Fans:

... in Issue 95 of the comic. Robert says, "Any non zombie corpses you saw on the highway either suffered severe brain trauma in a car crash that resulted in that pileup, or had another brain damaging event that killed them. They could have even been zombies in the car for awhile -- until someone came along and killed them."

I can think of a few possible reasons:

1. Starvation or dehydration
2. Committed suicide (self-inflicted)
3. Died from wounds not inflicted by zombies (non-self-inflicted)

I want to emphasize that if they were bitten by zombies, they would eventually turn into zombies themselves and wouldn't be found just sitting in their cars dead. For the TV series, I'm not sure if any death would lead to them turning into zombies. But it doesn't look like it would, since the dead are in their car.

Here's an official answer from Robert Kirkman:

• Severe brain trauma from car crash pileup.
• Another brain damage that killed them.
• Already zombies that got killed somehow.

From The Walking Dead's Glen Mazzara Addresses Frequently Asked Questions From the Fans:

Robert Kirkman answered this in Issue 95 of the comic. Robert says, "Any non zombie corpses you saw on the highway either suffered severe brain trauma in a car crash that resulted in that pileup, or had another brain damaging event that killed them. They could have even been zombies in the car for awhile -- until someone came along and killed them. We were well aware of the coming reveal when we wrote those scenes early in the season (Season 2)."

I can think of a few possible reasons:

1. Starved
2. Committed suicide (self-inflicted)
3. Died from wounds not inflicted by zombies (non-self-inflicted)

I want to emphasize that if they were bitten by zombies, they would eventually turn into zombies themselves and wouldn't be found just sitting in their cars dead. For the TV series, I'm not sure if any death would lead to them turning into zombies. But it doesn't look like it would, since the dead are in their car.

I can think of a few possible reasons:

1. Starvation or dehydration
2. Committed suicide (self-inflicted)
3. Died from wounds not inflicted by zombies (non-self-inflicted)

I want to emphasize that if they were bitten by zombies, they would eventually turn into zombies themselves and wouldn't be found just sitting in their cars dead. For the TV series, I'm not sure if any death would lead to them turning into zombies. But it doesn't look like it would, since the dead are in their car.