Elliott deaths ruled “accidental”

A coroner's jury Thursday, May 1, determined the cause of death of a Hamilton elementary principal and her family was accidental.

Hancock County Coroner Kendall Beals said Tasha Elliott, 36; her husband, Kevin, 38; son Wyatt, 11; and daughter, Madison, 7, died of asphyxiation due to drowning.

The Elliott family died on Feb. 3, 2008, when the family's two-door Dodge missed a curve in the road at Deer Run Estate, Hamilton, and landed upside down in an ice covered pond.

An autopsy was conducted on each family member at Memorial Hospital in Springfield.

Beals said Kevin Elliott had a blood alcohol level of .169 and Tasha Elliott's blood alcohol level was .209 at the time of their deaths.

The legal blood alcohol limit for drivers in Illinois is .08.

Toxicology reports did not turn up any excessive drug levels, but did find that Kevin had been taking a prescription drug.

A six-member jury was picked randomly from a list of registered voters in Hancock County.

Illinois State Police Special Agent Dan Hill testified about the weather, which had been foggy the night of the accident. The ground was covered with snow.

“A coroner's inquest is held to determine the manner and cause of death,” Beals said. “The death can be ruled as accidental, suicide, homicide, natural causes or undetermined. In this case it was accidental.”

A local police officer said the family had been visiting friends at Deer Run Estates the night before.