A medical examiner has ruled that former Ohio Democratic Congressman Jim Traficant died of asphyxia last year after the vintage tractor he was driving tipped over backward and trapped him beneath it.
The accident occurred Sept. 24 at Traficant's family farm outside of Youngstown. The 73-year-old died at a hospice four days later. Traficant was both a beloved and controversial figure in Youngstown and the surrounding Mahoning Valley. The Democrat served 17 years in the U.S. House before his colleagues expelled him in 2002 after his conviction on federal bribery and racketeering charges. He served seven years in prison and was released in 2009. A documentary on Traficant's life is scheduled to premiere March 21 at the Cleveland International Film Festival.
