Mishawaka man dies after sledding accident

A Mishawaka man died Friday night after hitting a tree while sledding at Bendix Woods County Park, his family said. Leo Roberts, 47, died at Memorial Hospital from complications caused by blood loss, said Janet Roberts, his wife of 23 years. Leo Roberts, his four daughters and some of their friends arrived at Bendix Woods around 3 p.m., his wife said. She said he had not been sledding there since he was a child, but the thick blanket of powdery snow that covered Michiana on New Year’s Day apparently inspired him to organize the outing. He hit the tree on his first run down the hill, she said. “He initially was unresponsive,” she said. “Two of our daughters initiated CPR. “He started to breathe again and was very slow to come around at first. They expected a head injury and that turned out not to be the case.” Roberts’ daughters called 911. “Because of the location it took (emergency responders) a very long time to get to the park and find their location,” she said. “Then they had to walk partway up a hill to get to him.” Still, he was responsive when being loaded into the ambulance. “He told (our daughters) he loved them, and they drove to the hospital,” she said. Janet Roberts is a nurse in the intensive-care unit at Memorial Hospital and was working Friday, so she was waiting for the family when her husband arrived. Leo Roberts was in full cardiac arrest when she walked into the emergency room, she said. Doctors finally stabilized him but found he had dislocated his knee and tore an artery during the collision. Blood loss led to complications that killed him, she said. “He was otherwise very healthy,” she said. “He was a wonderful husband of 23 years.” Three of their daughters are in college. The fourth is in high school. “He died having fun with them and doing something he loved to do, which was spend time with his daughters,” Janet Roberts said. Leo Roberts was born and raised in Mishawaka. He graduated from Penn High School in 1980 and became a journeyman electrician. He was a parishioner at St. Monica’s Catholic Church. Roberts also loved Studebaker cars, the University of Notre Dame, jazz and classic rock music, and the family dog, an Australian shepherd-border collie mix named Mel. “He could fix anything,” she said. “He built our house over the span of three years — every nail,” his wife said. The Visitation is Tuesday 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Bubb Funeral Chapel 3910 N Main St., Mishawaka, Funeral Mass will be said at 10 a.m. Wednesday at St Monica's, 222 W Mishawaka Ave. in Mishawaka In lieu of flowers, the family is setting up a memorial education fund at Teachers Credit Union for their daughters’ college expenses. Staff writer Kevin Allen: kallen@sbtinfo.com (574) 235-6244