Monday, April 07, 2008

Elderly woman died of smoke inhalation trying to keep warm after wreck?

Questions continued as officials waited for today's expected autopsy results from an 85-year-old woman who was found dead in her wrecked vehicle on an isolated gravel road in rural Augusta County, Virginia.

It is still unclear whether the wreck occurred on Thursday or Friday but evidence shows Virginia Harris may have tried to start a fire with newspapers on the floorboard of her car, possibly to keep warm after jammed doors trapped her in the vehicle. Autopsy results are expected to tell whether she died of smoke inhalation. Temperatures in the area have regularly been in the 20s and 30s at night.

It is also hoped autopsy results will reveal the time of death. Ms. Harris' daughter last spoke with her at 3 pm Thursday.

More information and photos here.

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