A 20-year-old SUNY Oneonta student was found frozen to death after being exposed to extreme cold for hours, according to police. Tyler Lopresti-Castro was found lying on the pavement outside a bus garage by a group of city employees on early Thursday morning, according to a statement released Friday by the City of Oneonta Police Department.
He was transported to a nearby hospital but was pronounced dead. Surveillance footage shows Lopresti-Castro "emerging from a wooded area behind the garage at about 2:15 a.m." He then stayed there for around 4 hours before he was found dead after being exposed to extreme cold.
Unfortunate Death
Loprest-Castro was found lying on the pavement near the Silas Lane Bus Garage by Exit 13 on Interstate 88 in New York by a group of city employees just before 7 am local time on Thursday. According to officials, Lopresti-Castro he was identified by his student ID and was suffering from exposure to harsh, sub-zero temperatures.
Police and Fire EMS arrived on the site and started treating the victim. He was sent to Fox Memorial Hospital and pronounced dead there. It is not known when he exactly died which can be known only after an autopsy is done.
Lopresti-Castro "appeared from a forested area behind the garage at about 2:15 a.m.," according to a surveillance footage video from the bus garage. According to News 10 ABC, officials said that the 20-year-old was not properly dressed for the extreme cold.
"A search of the surrounding area indicates Lopresti-Castro may have walked off the roadway at the eastbound off-ramp for I-88 at the intersection of Route 205, climbing through the snow and crossing a drainage creek before emerging on Oneonta City property," the department said in Friday's statement.
Investigation Launched
An investigation has been launched into the incident and as of now police and health officials believe that only the extreme temperature is to be blamed for Lopresti-Castro's death. There is no foul play angle to it.
Investigation also revealed that the college student may have walked off of the roadway near the intersection of I-88 and Route 205 before crossing a drainage creek before he arrived in the area of the garage.
The temperature dropped drastically after that. According to the National Weather Service, temperatures early Thursday in Oneonta dropped from -10 at 2 am to -14 at 6:50 am, the time when Lopresti-Castro died.
Lopresti-Castro was seen exiting "from a forested area behind the garage" at 2:15 a.m. local time Thursday morning, according to surveillance footage form the bus garage reviewed police. Since midnight, the student had not been seen.
Police are now looking for help from anyone that has information about Lopresti-Castro's whereabouts between midnight and 2:15 am. "to complete the timeline" of events.
SUNY Oneonta said Lopresti-Castro was a junior working towards a degree in accounting. He is listed on the 2019-20 roster for men's track and field, according to the school's athletics site.
"This is a very sad time for SUNY Oneonta. Our campus community is mourning the loss of one of our own, and we are focused on providing support to the student's family and friends," university officials said in a statement, obtained by News10. "Our hearts go out to them, and we are providing whatever assistance we can to help them during this difficult time."
The victim was last seen in a grey hooded sweatshirt and blue jeans and may have been walking around River Street Service Road, Oneida Street, or Chestnut Street during the given timeframe.
