Retired Yukon doctor was intoxicated at time of fatal accident, coroner finds

Dr. LisDensmore, a retired and well-known Yukon family physician, had been drinking the nightshe drove off the road last January in Whitehorse, the coroner says.

Chief coroner Heather Jones's judgment of inquiry report, issued earlier this month, said Densmore'sblood alcohol content at the time of the accident was 0.27 per cent more than three times the legal limit.

Densmore, 69, had been driving home from a social event on Jan. 5 when she drove off an embankmentnear her home off Cowley Lake Road.

According to Jones's report, Densmorehad left the event at around 8 p.m., because of illness. It was dark out and there was "moderate to heavy" snowfall at the time, the coroner says.

When Densmorecouldn't be reached on the phone the next morning, a friend drove to her house to check on her.

Tracks from Densmore'svehicle were then spotted leading over a steep bluff, near her home.Shehad apparently failed to navigate a sharp turn on the road, the coroner says.

A neighbour climbed down the embankment and found Densmore'svehicle. Densmore'sbody was lying about 25 metres away.

The coroner's report saysDensmorehad suffered some small bruises, skin tears and fractured ribs from the vehicle accident, but "no significant injuries were identified that would have contributed to death."

Tracks in the snow showed thatDensmorehad climbed out of her vehicle and tried to find a path that led to her home. She died from hypothermia, the coroner ruled.

Weather conditions and alcohol intoxication were significant factors in the death, the report says.