"Sat destroyed"? Why not just "destroyed"?

Context:

Dawn on Thursday morning illuminated scenes of devastation around the site of the blasts: 1,000 brand new cars sat destroyed in a nearby lot, their paint stripped by the heat and their metal bodies charred. Glass blown from windows littered the streets. Worker’s dormitories were reduced to piles of twisted metal and burnt belongings. Fires still burned, sending clouds of smoke out over the debris.

More:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2015/08/13/at-least-44-dead-hundreds-injured-in-deadly-explosions-at-chinese-port/