A 71-year-old man drove his car into a swamp in east-central Minnesota, freed himself from the vehicle and walked back to the road, where he collapsed and died, authorities said Monday.
Emergency responders discovered the body of Milton W. Tinkham about 6:25 a.m. Saturday in a ditch near Variolite Street and 401st Avenue NW. in Dalbo Township, according to the Isanti County Sheriff's Office.
The Sheriff's Office said it believes that alcohol and inattentive driving played a role in the death of Tinkham, who lived about 1 1/2 miles from the crash scene.
"It is also likely that hypothermia was another factor" in Tinkham's death, the Sheriff's Office said in a statement. "It is unknown how long [he] was on the ground while being soaked from the swamp water."
Tinkham's wife, Linda, died two months ago at age 65. The couple had eight children.
Paul Walsh
