Associated Press
COLUMBIA, S.C., The State – A woman and her two dogs died after her husband left a car running in a closed two-door garage at their home, authorities said.
Jennifer E. Koutrakos, 33, was found in a bathroom above the garage by her husband, Peter Koutrakos, when he returned home from work about 8 p.m, to a house filled with exhaust fumes, authorities said.
About 12 hours earlier, Peter Koutrakos, 34, used his wife’s 2001 Nissan Maxima car to jump-start his Nissan Xterra, Richland County Sheriff’s spokesman Joseph Pellicci said. But he apparently forgot to turn off his wife’s car after jump-starting his vehicle, Pellicci said.
Richland County Coroner Gary Watts said Monday the death is under investigation but it looks like an accident. Her death was consistent with carbon monoxide poisoning, but a final ruling won’t be made until lab results return, Watts said.
Peter Koutrakos tried to revive his wife and had to be taken to Lexington Medical Center for possible carbon monoxide poisoning, Pellicci said.
The two were managers at Captain Tom’s Seafood restaurant, where they had worked for about six years, a family member said.
Watts said depending on the carbon monoxide concentration in the house, she could have become disoriented within the first 30 minutes.