A 67-year-old man who died near Lacey Feb. 16 after his minivan went into a ditch and hit a culvert has been identified, according to the Thurston County Coroner's Office.
Michael Elsberry, who had no known address, died for two reasons: He suffered a medical emergency prior to the crash and the incident was compounded by the blunt force trauma of the wreck, Coroner Gary Warnock told The Olympian.
Lacey Fire Chief Jennifer Schmidt said crews were dispatched at 4:22 p.m. Feb. 16 to the 4600 block of Skylark Street Northeast. When crews arrived, they found the vehicle had significant exterior damage and airbags had been deployed, but the interior wasn't impacted heavily, The Olympian reported.
When Elsberry was removed from the car, he was in critical condition, Schmidt said. He was placed in the back of a medic unit, and his vital signs started to diminish. Schmidt said medical staff conducted CPR for 30 minutes, until hospital guidelines instructed them to stop, The Olympian reported.
The Thurston County Sheriff's Office also responded to the crash.
