‘A beautiful family:’ Carbon monoxide kills Kentucky father, 3-year-old in garage
When a Louisville father didn’t show up for work and his 7-year-old did not get to school, concerned family members found the two plus a 3-year-old boy in a vehicle warming up in a garage, according to media reports.
The 39-year-old father and his son died Wednesday and the 7-year-old girl was in critical condition, WAVE 3 and other media reported. The deaths prompted renewed warnings about the silent cold-weather killer, carbon monoxide.
The father was identified Thursday morning as Juvenal Garcia Mora and his son was identified as Cruz Isaac Garcia, WDRB reported. Both were pronounced dead just after 10 a.m., according to WDRB.
Carbon monoxide gas from the warming vehicle filled up the garage and became lethal, according to WDRB. The vehicle “had been running for some time,” when Louisville Metro Police arrived, Lt. Emily McKinley told WDRB.
Police found the father and his two children unconscious around 9 a.m. Wednesday, the Courier-Journal reported. The children were inside the car and the father was outside the car, McKinley told WAVE 3.
They were taken to Southwest Hospital in Louisville, where the father and his boy died, the Courier-Journal reported. The man’s daughter was transferred to Norton Children’s Hospital and was in critical condition, according to the Courier-Journal.
The mother of the two children was not home when the incident occurred, according to WLKY.
McKinley told WAVE 3 it appeared to be a “tragic accident.”
“This is just a reminder in the cold months to be cautious of running vehicles inside of closed, indoor areas, specifically garages,” she added. “Be aware of the risks of carbon monoxide poisoning. That is what this appears to be at this time.”
A neighbor of the family, Joan Johnson, told the Courier-Journal the parents and two children were “a beautiful family.”
“The mom and dad, if I had to say, were perfect parents,” Johnson said. “The little boy was precious in my eyes. The little girl is beautiful. I can’t go out on my porch now without thinking about them. It just breaks my heart.”
Carbon monoxide is an odorless, colorless gas that spreads quickly and can make its victims pass out or die, according to the Center for Disease Control. It is released from burning fuel in vehicles, small engines, stoves, lanterns, grills, fireplaces, and furnaces.
The CDC says never run a vehicle inside a garage with the garage door closed.
This story was originally published November 29, 2018 at 7:49 AM.