Man Commits Suicide, Kills Family By Carbon Monoxide Poisoning

A Pennsylvania man apparently bent on committing suicide by carbon monoxide poisoning also managed to kill his wife and two daughters in the process Monday, according to Philly.com.

http://www.philly.com/philly/news/20130417_Four_dead_of_apparent_carbon_monoxide_poisoning_in_Bucks.html

Gary Reitnauer, of the Bucks County town of Milford Township, killed himself by leaving his car running in the family’s garage. He broke the latch on the garage door, Philly.com reported, apparently in an effort to stop anyone from coming in.

I doubt, I certainly would hope to think, that Reitnauer was only planning to end his own life. But carbon monoxide is a very toxic, lethal gas, and it seeped into the rest of the house from the garage. His wife Michele, 58, tried to rescue him by breaking a window, according to Philly.com.

But she was overcome by the fumes, as were the couple’s daughters Kimberly, 16, and Jamie, 10. Authorities found all three of them dead in the house.

So this is a tragedy compounded upon tragedy, I’m sorry to say.