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Salve Regina Student, 21, Dies of Carbon Monoxide in Snow-Buried Car in Newport

Officials issued fresh carbon monoxide warnings after heavy snow buried exhausts, prompting generator misuse.

Overview

  • Police said Joseph Boutros was found unconscious around 7:20 p.m. in a running car at a Bellevue Avenue parking lot during the blizzard.
  • The vehicle was covered in snow with the exhaust pipe embedded, and Boutros was later pronounced dead at a hospital of carbon monoxide poisoning.
  • Investigators described the death as accidental and urged drivers to keep exhaust pipes clear when vehicles are idling.
  • The National Weather Service reported 34 inches of snowfall in Newport, conditions that can quickly block exhaust outlets.
  • Scituate, Massachusetts officials reported four generator-related carbon monoxide hospitalizations and advised placing generators 20–25 feet from homes, noting one was used inside a closed garage.