90-year-old woman is county's 5th cold-related death of season
CHICAGO (STMW) - A 90-year-old woman who suffered from Alzheimer’s disease was found dead in the driveway of her Roseland neighborhood home Monday morning. An autopsy confirmed she is Cook County’s fifth cold-related fatality of the season.
Nellie Gordon was found about 8:40 a.m. lying on her driveway in the 9100 block of South Michigan, according to Chicago Police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
Gordon died of hypothermia, with Alzheimer’s, heart disease and injuries from a fall listed as secondary causes, a Tuesday autopsy found. Her death was ruled an accident.
At 9 a.m., the temperature at Midway International Airport was 4 degrees, with a minus-11 wind chill, according to the National Weather Service.
Gordon is the fifth person to die of cold exposure in Cook County this winter season and the second in the latest cold snap.
On Monday, 60-year-old Roman Knapik was found in the 5500 block of West Diversey and taken to Community First Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 2:01 a.m., according to the medical examiner’s office. It is believed that Knapik was homeless.
Last winter, 26 people died at least partly from cold exposure in Cook County, according to the medical examiner’s office. During the 2013-14 season, there were 32 confirmed cold-related deaths.