March 24--The death of a 77-year-old West Suburban man over the weekend has been attributed to the cold, bringing the number of cold-related deaths this season to 25, according to the Cook County medical examiner's office.
Lester L. Harrison was found on the 100 block of Elgin Avenue in Forest Park on Sunday, according to the office.
Harrison, of the 300 block of Wisconsin Avenue in Oak Park was pronounced dead on Sunday at 8:15 a.m. at Rush Oak Park Hospital, according to the medical examiner.
An autopsy conducted Monday determined that Harrison died of hypertensive cardiovascular disease and hypothermia due to cold exposure, officials said. The death was ruled an accident.
Last winter -- during which Chicago had record-breaking low temperatures -- 32 cold-related deaths were counted in Cook County from Oct. 24, 2013, through April 3, 2014, officials said.
