YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio - The Mahoning County Coroner's Office has made a preliminary ruling that former Valley Congressman Jim Traficant likely died of positional asphyxia.

According to Forensic Pathologist Dr. Joseph Ohr, an autopsy completed Monday shows no evidence of a cardiac event leading up to the tractor accident that critically injured Traficant on Tuesday evening at his Greenford farm.

Dr. Ohr also says the former Congressman had no crushing injuries to his body.

However, it is possible that Traficant was pinned where he could not breath, which is more commonly known as positional asphyxia.

The coroner's office says it wants to investigate further by examining the tractor and the EMS report that was taken at the time of the incident. It would also like to talk to Traficant's trauma surgeon before making a final ruling on the cause of death.