Death of Gary woman found in drainage ditch ruled an accident: autopsy

Officials have released the autopsy results for Ariana Taylor, a 23-year-old woman reported missing in early April whose body was found earlier this week in a drainage ditch.

Taylor’s death was caused by trauma from a motor vehicle accident complicated by drowning, the Lake County coroner’s office announced Thursday.

Other results are pending, according to the office. Her death was ruled an accident.

Taylor’s body was found Wednesday morning in a drainage ditch near Bellaboo’s Play and Discovery Center, at 2800 Colorado St., Gary police spokesman Jack Hamady told reporters.

That’s more than a mile south from where her vehicle was found crashed and empty on April 3 on the side of Interstate 65, police said.

Police initially said it was not possible that she had floated between locations.

At the time her car was found, police said they were investigating the crash as a hit-and-run.

On Sunday, police said they had found a body in a grassy area, but clarified later that the body was actually a life-size silicone doll.