Authorities, in Illinois, stated Monday that they found the body of a woman who walked away from the December car crash that killed her husband.
Tanya Shannon, 40 of Ransom, was found as searchers on horse-back and helicopters were about to start a fresh search for her, per LaSalle County, Illinois, Sheriff Tom Templeton.
Shannon was last seen with her husband, Dale, 41, at a party in the town of Streator, 17 miles west of Ransom.
On the trip home, Dale Shannon lost control of the car. It slid backward and crashed into a pole. A relative told the Chicago Tribune that Dale Shannon’s back was broken by the impact.
Toxicology tests showed Dale Shannon’s blood alcohol level was more than three times the legal limit, the LaSalle County coroner.
A sheriff’s deputy patrolling the next morning found the couple’s car. Dale Shannon was dead in the driver’s seat.
Investigators found foot-prints in the snow leading from the car to a nearby road, but the trail ended.
Snow and poor road conditions the night of the accident made it difficult for authorities to stage extensive searches for Tanya Shannon, Templeton said. The search was suspended December 8.
“The Shannon family would like to express their appreciation to everyone for their efforts to locate Tanya, and would like to request that their privacy be respected at this time,” the sheriff said in a statement.
