Northwest Side woman is county’s 3rd heat-related death of season

A Northwest Side woman is the third person to die of heat-related causes this summer in Cook County.

Esta L. Johnson, 73, died at 8:39 p.m. Tuesday at her home in the 5000 block of North Springfield Avenue, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

An autopsy Wednesday found she died of heart disease, and heat stress was listed as a contributing factor. Her death was ruled natural.

The temperature reached a high of 94 degrees in the Chicago area on Tuesday.

Johnson’s death is the third reported heat-related death of the season in Cook County.

Two women died of heat-related causes within an hour of each other on July 19, authorities said.

Ellean Williams, 69, died at her home in the 4800 block of West Cortez just after 2 a.m., according to the medical examiner’s office.

About 20 minutes earlier, 70-year-old Darlene Lipske, of Brookfield, died at La Grange Memorial Hospital, authorities said

Autopsies found both women died of heart disease and heat stress, and both of their deaths were ruled natural.

In 2014, there were no heat-related deaths in the county. In 2013, there were six heat-related deaths.