Garage fire victim died of smoke inhalation, burns

ROCKTON, Ill. (AP) - An autopsy shows smoke inhalation and burns caused the death of a 58-year-old woman who was trying to save vehicles from a burning garage at her home in the northern Illinois village of Rockton.

The Winnebago County coroner's office completed the autopsy on Anita Specht on Friday. The Rockford Register Star reported (http://bit.ly/1DH9HGF) the autopsy results Sunday.

She was found dead in a vehicle following a Thursday fire. A spokesman for the Winnebago County Sheriff's Office said Specht was able to get one vehicle out of the garage and was trapped while trying to back out a second vehicle.

Specht's husband, Edward, survived but suffered second-degree burns and smoke inhalation. He was taken to Rockford Memorial Hospital and was discharged from the hospital Friday.

The fire's cause is under investigation.