AUBURN, Mass. (WHDH/AP) — Police in Massachusetts say an officer who passed out behind the wheel of his cruiser and crashed has tested positive for exposure to carbon monoxide.
Auburn Police Chief Andrew Sluckis said Wednesday that both the cruiser and officer had tested positive for the gas.
Sluckis said the officer rear-ended another vehicle, causing “minimal” damage. He was taken to a local hospital with high levels of the gas in his system, but Sluckis said the officer’s levels were not near a “deadly level.”
“He was going up the hill and he began to decelerate. As he did, for some reason, he accelerated, made contact with the vehicle in front of him, cut to the left and his vehicle went across the roadway into a parking lot,” Sluckis said.
The driver suffered a minor injury.
Sluckis said a second officer also tested positive for carbon monoxide and was hospitalized. He said the vehicles involved are Ford Explorer SUVs. Ford released the following to statement to 7News on Wednesday:
“Safety is our top priority and we are concerned for those involved. We are working with the Auburn Police Department and have a team in Massachusetts on the way to inspect their vehicles and modifications made to them.”
Testing has identified carbon monoxide in nine department vehicles. Those vehicles have been pulled out of service. Carbon monoxide detectors have been ordered.
The Boston Police Department has also ordered detectors for its fleet.
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