Carbon Monoxide Exposure Kills Texas Man

By Mary Mitchell

Published on September 06, 2006

A neighbor in Lee’s apartment complex made a late-night emergency call describing an unusual smell and complaining of chest pains and shortness of breath. Lewisville Police and Fire Department personnel responded at 12:01 a.m. and found that there was a high level of carbon monoxide in some areas of the complex.

When they entered Lee’s apartment, they found him there unconscious, and although CPR was performed in the ambulance taking him to a local hospital, Lee could not be saved. The apartment building was evacuated for several hours while it was ventilated.

The Lewisville Fire Department determined that the source of the carbon monoxide was Lee’s truck, left running in the closed garage. The police found no evidence of foul play or suicide, but they were not able to determine why or how long the truck had been left running in the garage. The investigation remains ongoing.

A fire department spokesman noted that carbon monoxide (CO) detectors are widely available to the public, and that CO accidents become more common in the winter months.

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