An 82-year-old Marquette Heights man died Tuesday due to cold exposure.
Peoria County Coroner Jamie Harwood says the man had been dropped off at an area car dealership and then drove himself back home in the morning hours. Harwood says it appears the man fell before he was able to get into his home. He was found on the ground several hours later by a neighbor.
The unidentified man died at OSF Saint Francis Medical Center at 5:41 p.m. Harwood says exposure to severely cold temperatures for even a short amount of time can cause frostbite to exposed skin. Hypothermia can also set in very quickly, especially in children and in the elderly.
Harwood’s urging extreme caution if you must be outdoors right now.
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