A FedEx worker was found dead outside of a facility in Illinois on Thursday morning and local authorities say record-low temperatures were partly to blame for the tragedy.
Darren Gault, a captain at the East Moline Police Department, told local station WQAD that the worker, who has been identified as William L. Murphy from Moline, was found dead between two semitractor-trailers near a local delivery hub.
So far, the bitter cold snap that has plunged a chunk of the country into a brutal freeze this week has reportedly claimed the lives of at least 18 people.
{mosads}Rock Island County Coroner Brian Gustafson said authorities were unsure how long Murphy’s body had been lying in the cold before it was discovered.
Although Gustafson said the cause of death has not yet been determined, and an autopsy is scheduled to take place Monday, Gault told the local station that cold weather played a role in Murphy’s death.
Gault added that authorities are also reviewing security cameras at the FedEx facility but said, at this point, there are no signs of foul play.
A spokesperson for FedEx told AOL News that the company is “working with local authorities as they investigate.”
“We are saddened by the loss of our team member and our sympathies go out to his family and friends,” the representative added.
USA Today reported that Moline set a record low temperature of 33 degrees below zero on Thursday morning.
The small town was one of at least three cities in the Midwest that reportedly set new record lows Thursday, including Rockford, Ill., and Cedar Rapids, Iowa.