Snowplow driver found 82-year-old buried in snow, officials say. Caregiver convicted
A Michigan caregiver was convicted after officials say she failed to prevent an 82-year-old woman from venturing out into freezing temperatures, which ultimately killed her.
Colleen Kelly O’Connor, 58, was convicted of vulnerable adult abuse, according to a news release from the Michigan Department of Attorney General.
Attorney information for O’Connor was not available.
On Dec. 23, 2022, an 82-year-old resident of Vista Springs Imperial Park at Timber Ridge Village, an assisted living facility in Clinton County, tried twice to go outside in single-digit temperatures, officials said.
The woman ultimately wandered outside and was later found by a snowplow driver, “partially buried in snow,” according to officials. It’s unclear how long she was outside before being found.
The woman was taken to a hospital where she died of hypothermia, officials said.
“As a caregiver, O’Connor recklessly failed to act to prevent the victim from going outdoors into the storm, resulting in her death,” officials said.
McClatchy News reached out to the assisted living facility for comment June 10 but did not receive an immediate response.
O’Connor’s attorney told the Lansing State Journal earlier in the year that the incident was not intentional and was “a tragic accident.”
“This verdict does not undo the tragic loss of life, but we hope it serves as a reminder of the immense responsibility caregivers have,” Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel said in the release.
O’Connor was convicted on June 7. She will be sentenced July 29.
This story was originally published June 10, 2024 at 4:34 PM with the headline "Snowplow driver found 82-year-old buried in snow, officials say. Caregiver convicted."
