Cold and Alcohol Were Factors to Dead Man Found Under Downtown Bridge
The autopsy results of a man found in the frigid Sioux Falls temperatures under the 10th street bridge has confirmed with authorities suspected. The man died of exposure to the cold, with a contributing factor of being intoxicated.
According to Officer Sam Clemens, the man, who may have still been alive at when initially found, was discovered at around 7:00 AM on Tuesday (February 12) under the 10th Street viaduct on the east side of downtown Sioux Falls. He was taken to a Sioux Falls hospital but did not recover.
Police say the man was last seen the night before about 10:00 PM at the Bishop Dudley Hospitality House.
Law enforcement knows who the man was but are not releasing his name as he was not considered to be a victim of a crime. Family members have been found and notified.
Temperatures that night were in the teens and began to drop in the early morning hours just before sunrise. At least 1 inch of snow had blanketed the city during that time.