LEWISTON – The woman who died after crashing her car into Lewiston’s canal last week suffered a stroke moments before the accident.

But Police Chief Bill Welch said Jeannine Morin, a 66-year-old Pierce Street resident, died of hypothermia hours after she was rescued from the canal.

Police released results from a preliminary autopsy report Thursday morning.

“The cause of death was hypothermia due to cold-water immersion,” Welch said. “But the vehicle accident itself appears to be caused by a spontaneous intracranial hemorrhage, which caused her to lose control of the vehicle.”

Police say Morin was traveling down Ash Street early Friday morning toward the Canal Street intersection. Her car continued across Canal Street and through the metal fence and crashed into the canal. She survived there for three hours, partially submerged in icy water, before she was spotted by a man plowing parking lots at the Bates Mill complex.

Morin later died at Central Maine Medical Center.

Welch said the autopsy report helps explain the accident, but police have not completed their investigation. They are continuing to inspect Morin’s car.

“There were a number of things that could have contributed to this accident, and we’re trying to find out everything we can that was a part of it,” he said.