Man found in snow storm seems to have died from natural causes


By JULIE WEISBERG - Staff Reporter


 

WINSTED — A medical problem appears to have led to the death of a Winsted man whose body was found along the side of Torrington Road during the snow and ice storm Wednesday, Dec. 9.

"He died from natural causes," Winsted Deputy Police Chief Robert Scannell told The Journal Friday morning.

Early reports from the Connecticut State Police Major Crime Unit and the State Medical Examiner’s Office have indicated that the victim, Achileas Fontinopoulos, 47, of Lewis Street, died from a medical issue as he walked to work that morning.

There was no evidence of foul play or trauma to the victim.

Scannell said Fontinopoulos’ vehicle was in for repair at the time of his death.

Although additional information about the cause of death will become available to police after the written toxicology and medical reports are completed by the state medical examiner’s office, Scannell said that that information will likely not be made public due to federal health information privacy laws.

Winsted Police received a call at 5:16 a.m Wednesday from someone reporting that a man was lying on the side of the road on Route 800, near the AT&T building close to the Torrington town line.

Local police officers and fire police blocked all routes to the area of Route 800 Wednesday as state police worked the possible crime scene.

Officers were already contending with increased calls due to a heavier-than-expected snowstorm that came through Tuesday night and into Wednesday morning.


— Additional reporting provided by Michael Marciano

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