Carbon monoxide fumes kill Berkeley Heights man

Lt. Robert Deitch said the husband was found dead in the home. His wife was found unconscious in the home and was transported to Overlook Medical Center in Summit.

Deitch said the incident seems to involve exposure to carbon monoxide fumes, and police are awaiting autopsy results. Deitch said the incident is not a criminal matter.

According to a police monitoring service, officers were sent to a home at 12 Cottage Court around 1:20 p.m. Wednesday for a report of a major gas leak. The police monitoring service later indicated that an elderly couple had left their vehicle running in the garage overnight and were exposed to carbon monoxide.

Carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless, tasteless gas.

The Chicago Tribune reported a couple in their 70s this week were found dead in their home, apparently poisoned by carbon monoxide from a car with a keyless ignition that was accidentally left running in the garage.

In April, four elderly Queens residents died from carbon monoxide exposure after a car was accidentally left idling in a first-floor garage, according to a New York Post report

Staff Writer Suzanne Russell: 732-565-7335; srussell@mycentraljersey.com