Woman's death ruled an accident

The Hill County coroner has ruled the bleeding death of a 26-year-old Havre woman to be accidental.

Erin Kay Lewis, 26, was found dead Sunday evening on the kitchen floor of her home on the 600 block of Second Avenue. She bled to death after cutting her arm on a piece of broken glass, Hill County Sheriff and Coroner Greg Szudera said today.

She apparently locked herself out of her house and attempted to gain entry by breaking a window, Szudera said.

"The cause of death was extensive loss of blood through the brachial and radial arteries in the right arm," Szudera said.

Lewis' body was taken Monday to Missoula for an autopsy. The state medical examiner completed the autopsy later that evening, Havre Police Chief Kevin Olson said Tuesday.

The medical examiner has not issued a formal finding, but did indicate the cause of death is consistent with an accidentally incurred injury, Olson said.

Based on the extensive police investigation and the initial autopsy findings, Szudera said he would rule the death as accidental.

Officers found the woman's body at about 7:30 p.m. Sunday night. Police went to the residence after the woman's friend called police and said he hadn't heard from her since 2 a.m. Sunday, Olson said.