Jefferson, OH – Carbon monoxide caused the death of an Erie, Pennsylvania man found late last week inside a motor home parked at Raceway 7 in Monroe Township, according to the Ashtabula County coroner’s office.
Thomas Slayton, 64, was found inside the vehicle late Thursday afternoon, said Thomas Despenes, a coroner’s investigator. Slayton had been dead “a couple of days,” Despenes said.
Also found inside the vehicle was Slayton’s girlfriend, April Cole, 56, of Erie, Despenes said. Cole was “barely responsive” when found but will recover, he said.
“She’s going to be OK,” Despenes said.
The coroner’s office was contacted at 3:48 p.m. Thursday, Despenes said.
A gasoline-powered generator that supplied electricity to the motor home was not vented properly, Despenes said. The generator, which was not running when safety personnel arrived, was a replacement machine and not part of the vehicle’s original equipment, he said.
The couple took the motor home to race tracks in the region, Despenes said. A Raceway 7 manager, who had not seen Slayton or Cole since Tuesday, contacted Monroe Township firefighters on Thursday.
Firefighters found Slayton in the dining area, seated on a bench, Despenes said. Cole was found in the rear of the vehicle, he said.
Medical personnel at UH Conneaut discovered high levels of carbon monoxide in Cole’s system, Despenes said. She was later flown by helicopter to a hospital in Cleveland, he said.
Slayton’s death was caused by carbon monoxide poisoning and has been ruled an accident, Despenes said.
Slayton had breathing issues, which might have made him more vulnerable to fumes compared to Cole, Despenes said. Slayton operated a body shop in Erie, according to an obituary.