GREAT FALLS – A 48 year-old Great Falls woman died Saturday after her car slid off the road in sub-zero temperatures and she was unable to enter her house.
The Cascade County Sheriff’s Office has identified the woman as Lisa Doty.
Doty was driving home February 9 when she slid off the road and her car became stuck in a ditch. She attempted to dig her car out and lost her keys, according to the CCSO.
A passerby eventually gave Doty a ride to her home, which was about five blocks away, around 1 a.m.
The Sheriff’s Office reported Doty attempted to enter her home by breaking the window next to her door since she did not have her keys.
A different person found Doty around 11:30 a.m. in her driveway in the 1600 block of 30th Avenue South.
The Sheriff’s Office said sub-zero temperatures ranging from 8 degrees below zero to 14 degrees below zero were reported and Doty was not dressed for the weather.
An autopsy was conducted February 11 and exposure appears to be a contributing factor in Doty’s death.
The incident is still under investigation and the Sheriff’s Office said alcohol may have been a factor.