Frances McQuaige, 78, was found dead in her car two days after telling restaurant employees she was afraid to drive in the snow.
HACKENSACK - Investigators have concluded a probe into the death of a Long Island woman who was found dead in the parking lot of a Burger King on Hackensack Avenue.
Frances McQuaige, 78, was found dead in her car two days after telling restaurant employees she was afraid to drive in the snow.
An autopsy showed she died of heart disease, a condition made worse by the cold.
"This is really the end of (the investigation)," Hackensack Police Director Michael Mordaga said Wednesday. "I don't think there's anything more to it."
In a conversation with a restaurant employee, McQuaige said she was going to ride out the storm in her car.
Workers found her dead, seated in the vehicle, two days later.
Her family is unsure why she was in Hackensack, which is more than two hours from the Long Island home she shared with her adult daughter.
"It's very possible she was disoriented and got lost," said Jean McQuaige, a sister-in-law.
The police director said he did not know why McQuaige was in the area but said it appears she simply did not want to drive in the snow and chose instead to wait in her car.
The police director said restaurant employees who knew she was in the parking lot legally did nothing wrong by not reporting her to the police.
Burger King released a brief statement to NJ Advance Media but did not answer specific questions about the incident or its employees.
Mordaga said an initial report that placed the woman in the parking lot as early as Friday night was incorrect.
"This woman parked there. It was snowing and she had a heart attack that may have been brought on by the cold," Mordaga said. "It's a very sad, very tragic story."
Anthony G. Attrino may be reached at tattrino@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyAttrino. Find NJ.com on Facebook.