Mentor Man Found Dead in His Car

A Mentor man was found dead in his car after he was involved in a crash Thursday night.

David Washburn, 66, had driven his Oldsmobile into a small snow mound in the parking lot of the Hardee's restaurant in Willoughby.

Eastlake police officers noticed the car and checked on Washburn, who was not breathing and slumped in his seat. The officers could not get Washburn to respond to them, so they broke one of the car's windows to see if he was alive, Willoughby Police Lt. Tom Trem said.

Paramedics took Washburn to Lake West Medical Center in Willoughby, where he was pronounced dead.

Trem said the injuries Washburn seemed to receive in the crash were minor and not life threatening. Instead, authorities suspect a medical incident may have caused Washburn's death, though they will not know for sure until the Lake County Coroner's Office performs an autopsy Saturday.

Trem said that Washburn suffered from medical problems before the crash.