Mother and Infant Son Die From Carbon Monoxide Poisoning As Dad Shovels Out Car
Massive winter storm Jonas affected millions this past weekend, and sadly more than 30 lives were lost in snow-related incidents. Two of those people were Sashalynn Rosa and her son, Messiah, from New Jersey.
The 23-year-old mother was playing in the snow with her son and three-year-old daughter when they decided to go inside their car and turn it on to keep warm. Like many other vehicles, their car was snowed in, so Rosa's husband was outside, shoveling the snow around the vehicle. About 20 minutes later, he checked on them and found them all unconscious.
He immediately called 911, and paramedics quickly arrived on the scene. Once rushed to St. Mary's Hospital in Passaic, NJ, the mother and son were pronounced dead after succumbing to carbon dioxide poisoning while waiting in the car. The daughter is currently in critical condition, and doctors say it's likely the toddler might not survive.
Since the car's tailpipe was clogged with snow (which happens often in snow storms), the inside of the car filled up with carbon monoxide. The toxic gas is unable to be seen and can't be smelled, which left the family practically helpless.
"It's a tragic accident," Detective Andy White said. Unfortunately, many are not aware of the link between carbon monoxide and clogged tailpipes during snow storms-even Mayor Blanco said that he would have made the same mistake.
Authorities are now reminding drivers to make sure to keep tailpipes are unblocked if people are inside while the car is on-keep the windows open if you must turn on the car.
[via NYDailyNews]
