Some Traficant accident details clarified

YOUNGSTOWN

Even in death, former U.S. Rep. James A. Traficant Jr. is generating controversy.

Traficant’s family, through a spokeswoman, finally clarified Tuesday that the former congressman was cremated early Monday. That was followed by a private service with his remains, attended by family and very close friends.

On Monday afternoon, Heidi Hanni, Traficant family spokeswoman and an attorney, told The Vindicator Traficant had been buried at an undisclosed location.

However, Dr. Joseph Ohr, forensic pathologist for the Mahoning County Coroner’s Office, said he conducted an autopsy Traficant's body between 1:30 and 5:30 p.m. Monday.

The preliminary ruling by Dr. Ohr was “positional

asphyxia” — meaning Traficant wasn’t able to breathe

after the tractor he was driving fell on top of him on his family farm in Greenford.

Traficant was seriously injured Sept. 23 when driving a 1943 Ford tractor at his family’s 76-acre farm on West South Range Road when the vehicle struck a large steel blade on the ground, about 140 feet into a large pole barn, Goshen police say. That caused the tractor to roll over backward onto Traficant, still in the driver’s seat, and he was trapped under the vehicle.

The preliminary report also showed no evidence of a heart attack or crushing, Dr. Ohr said.

Read more about the findings and services in Wednesday's Vindicator or on Vindy.com.