OLYMPIA, Washington. — Authorities on Wednesday called in outside experts to find the source of carbon monoxide that is believed to have killed one student and sickened two others at a university in Washington state.
The experts, from a forensic engineering firm that specializes in carbon monoxide testing, were at the housing unit at Evergreen State College in Olympia to conduct the analysis, said Chris Loftis, spokesman for the Washington State Patrol.
A dorm manager called campus police Monday evening to report that he could not contact students in a modular home. An Evergreen police officer who broke down the door to help reach people inside was hospitalized overnight, according to Police Chief David Brunckhurst.
The Thurston County Coroner's Office identified the dead student as Jonathan Rodriguez, 21, of nearby DuPont. His autopsy was scheduled for Thursday.
Two students were also hospitalized. Evergreen spokesperson Farra Layne Hayes said Wednesday she had no further information about their conditions or whether they had been released.
Earlier Monday, an alarm company contracted by the council responded to carbon monoxide alarms, Layne Hayes said. She said she had no details about what that response entailed or whether the alarms came from the same modular housing unit where the student died.
Every home on campus has a carbon monoxide detector, Layne Hayes said.
“This is a tragedy and we mourn our students and families,” Evergreen President John Carmichael said in a statement. “The safety of students, staff and faculty remains Evergreen's top priority.”
Carbon monoxide is an odorless, colorless gas that is produced by the combustion of fuels, including gas, wood, propane or charcoal. If equipment and motors are not properly ventilated, they can reach dangerous levels.