As if the death of a family member weren't heart-wrenching enough, relatives of an obese Indiana woman were outraged Tuesday over the way the county coroner handled her death.
Hours after the death of 48-year-old Teresa Smith, who weighed over 750 pounds, a flatbed truck was sent to her apartment to retrieve the body, FOX affiliate WXIN-TV reported. The Marion County deputy coroner told the station that it was their only option because of her weight.
"That was just dishonorable," Smith’s 13-year-old son David told WXIN. "You really shouldn’t disrespect the dead."
In addition, an old, dirty rug was used to cover the woman’s remains after they were loaded onto the truck, neighbors said.
When reached by WXIN, officials from the coroner’s office said they had contacted Smith’s family about using the flatbed, and they had been OK with it.
Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox