Man Dies From 'Positional Asphyxia' In McHenry Co. Crash: Coroner

MCHENRY COUNTY, IL – A 39-year-old Wauconda man died from traumatic positional asphyxia following a single-vehicle crash Saturday evening near Harvard, according to preliminary findings released Monday afternoon by the McHenry County Coroner's Office. The man, who has been identified as Matthew D. Gray, was driving a 2015 Dodge Dart east on Hunter Road at White Oaks Road in unincorporated Harvard at about 7:05 p.m. on Saturday when his car went through a stop sign, over a berm and into a fence, authorities said. The vehicle landed on its roof.

Gray was pronounced dead at the scene. He was wearing his seat belt at the time of the crash and alcohol did not appear to contribute to the accident, according to a news release from the McHenry County Sheriff's Office.

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An autopsy was performed Monday and McHenry County Coroner Anne Majewski said the preliminary cause of death was traumatic positional asphyxia. Final cause of death is pending additional studies, she said.

The crash remains under investigation.

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