Crash victim ID’d

WARREN DILLAWAY
Star Beacon

October 15, 2009 01:40 am

— ASHTABULA — A city woman, who died in a fiery crash on Oct. 3 has been identified by coroner investigators, said Ashtabula County Coroner’s Office investigator James Baehr.
Jennifer M. Hunger, 31, died after her car left the westbound lane of Interstate 90 near the 233 mile marker in Sheffield Township around 5 a.m. on Oct. 3, according to reports from law enforcement and the coroner’s office.
The cause of death has not been officially determined, Baehr said. He said he expects the final cause of death will take several weeks to confirm.
“The pathologist would like to do further testing before he gives a final determination,” he said. The Cuyahoga County Coroner’s Office is performing the autopsy.
The identification took a long time because the body had been burned so badly during the fire, Baehr said the day of the crash. He said the victim’s identity was confirmed by dental records.
He said the car left the road, struck a tree and burst into flames. He said the autopsy would hopefully indicate whether there was a medical condition that led to the crash. He said there was no evasive action when the car left I-90 before it hit the trees.
The Sheffield Fire Department responded to find the car burning. Firefighters were able to bring it under control in about five to 10 minutes, said assistant chief Alan Kohta the day of the crash.