Six people treated after vehicle left running in Arapahoe County garage

By Julie Poppen, Rocky Mountain News (Contact), Marc Shulgold, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Published November 4, 2008 at 11:47 a.m.
Updated November 4, 2008 at 2:16 p.m.

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Photo by George Kochaniec Jr. © The Rocky

Arapahoe County Sheriff investigators investigate a possible crime scene at 4512 S. Jebel Way in the Willow Tree development Tuesday afternoon November 4, 2008. Two adults and three children were taken from this residence and one from a next-door home with carbon monoxide poisoning. The Arapahoe County Sheriff's Department said the six people were expected to recover and the incident is under investigation.

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CENTENNIAL — Five members of an Arapahoe County family and a neighbor friend are recovering from carbon monoxide poisoning, after they were discovered in a house filled with exhaust from a car accidentally left running in the family garage.

Jun Bong Lee and his son, Kyoung, 12, were taken to the Medical Center of Aurora, where they were treated and released late Tuesday afternoon. Lee's wife and two other sons, Linden, 6, and Edward, 5, were taken to Parker Adventist Hospital, along with an unidentified family friend. The two Lee children were listed in good condition, with no release date indicated. Information on Lee's wife and the family friend were unavaiable.

According to Lt. Steve Curti of the Arapahoe Sheriff's office, one child was discovered unconscious when the distress call came in around 10 a.m. Tuesday morning, but that "no criminal activity" was discovered at the home at 4512 S. Jebel Way in the Willow Tree subdivision. The department will conduct a follow-up investigation, but Curti voiced confidence that the incident was merely the result of a family car accidentally left running in the attached garage.

Curti said members of the family, whom neighbors described as being from an Asian country with limited English skills, woke up feeling nauseous and called a relative. Once a relative came over, a neighbor notified authorities. According to Curti, the neighbor had arranged a meeting with the elder Lee, but on his arrival, Jun Bong Lee "sounded disoriented," and the neighbor called for assistance. Curti said that Lee's wife had called Sky Vista Middle School earlier that morning to report Kyoung's illness, believing that the family was suffering from food poisoning.

"It appears somebody came home late (Monday) night and left the car running by accident," Curti said.

Kevin Ferry, a deputy marshal for the Cunningham Fire Protection District reported that "extremely high levels" of carbon monoxide were detected. Sheriff's deputies entering the house were exposed to the noxious gases, but required no treatment on the scene, he said.

By the afternoon, a car and a van, with its back opened, remained in the open garage. Three police cars staked out the home. The garage was blocked with police tape. The front door and lower-level windows were open.

Neighbor Scarlett Barnhill, 16, stayed home sick today. She was awakened by ambulance sirens.

She and residents of surrounding homes were evacuated for about 20 minutes until authorities secured the scene. Representatives from Xcel Energy entered the house after a fire crew ventilated the home with forced air. No gas leaks were detected, and it's expected that the Lee family would be able to return to the home after their release from the hospitals.

"There was a guy lying down in the lawn," Barnhill said. "I was told to go to the top of the street."

"We're all praying," said a neighbor, who asked not to be identified. "We all like the kids."

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