Do not let your children sit in the car to keep warm while you shovel.

Doctor: Child Dies While Sitting In Car To Keep Warm
Child Reportedly Died Of Carbon Monoxide Poisoning

POSTED: 10:07 pm EST January 23, 2005
UPDATED: 10:16 pm EST January 23, 2005

BOSTON -- A child in Massachusetts has reportedly died of carbon monoxide poisoning while sitting in an idling car.


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Dr. Bob Marshall, the assistant director of the Rhode Island Health Department, said that he got a call from the regional Poison Control Center informing him of the death. The center covers Massachusetts and Rhode Island.

Marshall said that he was told two children were in an idling vehicle to stay warm while their parents shoveled. But the vehicle's tailpipe was blocked by snow and ice. The children were taken to a hospital where one died.

No ages or home town were given.

The regional Poison Control Center would not confirm the death, but warned people not to leave children in idling cars and to clear vehicle tailpipes if anyone will be inside for an extended period of time.

By Kernkate on Monday, January 24, 2005 - 09:52 am:

How sad

By My2cuties on Monday, January 24, 2005 - 09:55 am:

How long were they in the car? I let my car run about 10 minutes to warm up. That is an aweful story.

By Amecmom on Monday, January 24, 2005 - 10:02 am:

Too Sad! CO killed my niece and my brother in law. My SIL started a campaign to raise public awareness of it, and of the need to have a CO detector in every home. If they'd had one, her tragedy and so many others could have been prevented.

This story is particularly sad. There should have been no danger to the children in the car if the tail pipe had been clear, but who thinks of these things until sadly someone is killed and we become aware of yet another danger to check for.

Ame

By Feona on Monday, January 24, 2005 - 10:05 am:

Thanks for the reminder.

By Janet on Monday, January 24, 2005 - 10:30 am:

Whoa... my dd and I sit for 45 min. each week in our idling car, out in front of the dance studio while younger dd takes her lessons. How do you clear a tail pipe? Would it be OK if we had a window cracked?

By Colette on Monday, January 24, 2005 - 10:31 am:

The tailpipe was blocked with all of the snow.

By Trina~moderator on Monday, January 24, 2005 - 10:59 am:

I read stories like this every year.

By Janet on Monday, January 24, 2005 - 11:13 am:

My dh is on our volunteer fire dept., and they had a call for a CO2 monitor going off... turns out their garage is under the bedroom, and the husband had it running before he went to work. Fumes had come up through the garage into the house, causing the wife to feel sick as well as the monitor to go off. She said if she'd not had the monitor, she'd have assumed it was the flu and gone to bed. Scary thought.

By Breann on Monday, January 24, 2005 - 03:34 pm:

Ditto Trina