East Stroudsburg, PA – On Thursday, carbon dioxide from an idling car in a home garage claimed the life of an elderly East Stroudsburg woman. Virginia Brecheisen, 82, was the third such death in a scant three weeks in Pennsylvania. Schuylkill County residents Nicholas and Anna Mae Young, 87 and 88, died over Sept. 29-38 weekend. Like Brecheisen, the couple had returned from an outing; they put the car in the garage and forgot to turn off the engine.
These are preventable deaths. Carbon monoxide detectors exist. They will beep before the level of CO a tasteless, colorless and odorless gas reaches dangerous levels. Property owners also can tie the detectors into an alarm system to dispatch emergency personnel. Yet most people don’t have the devices, even people who wouldn’t think of going without smoke detectors. Combined smoke/CO detectors are also available yet still far from standard household equipment. They should be.
Carbon monoxide is insidious. It’s called the silent killer. You can’t see, taste or smell it, so it’s easy to be oblivious should your furnace malfunction or your fireplace flue become partially blocked, or your car remain idling nearby, spewing its toxic vapors into your breathing space. Even a small amount of CO, maybe coming from a chain saw that’s not burning efficiently, can make you sick. You might just feel a little off, or drowsy enough to take a nap. This can prove fatal.
The Youngs’ and Virginia Brecheisen’s case are especially troubling because, as a recent Pocono Record letter writer pointed out, a simple key habit could have prevented their deaths. Homes with attached garages should have a special lock between the garage and the living space. Drivers would keep the key to the connecting door on the key ring with their car key. Without turning off the car engine, they couldn’t get into the house.
Carbon monoxide is a byproduct of all gas or diesel-powered vehicles, fuel-burning appliances and heating devices. Don’t even think about napping in an idling car. And as Pennsylvania enters the heating season, homeowners and renters with attached garages should adopt the preventive key habit and purchase a CO detector. Only a third of households have them now and not many states require them. There’s no sense waiting for a law. Protect yourself against the silent killer.