MENOMONIE, Wis. – A toxicology report confirmed that three students from the University of Wisconsin Stout (UW-Stout) who died April 5 in a fire were intoxicated at the time of their death.
Each victim was found in separate bedrooms on the second floor of their off-campus home. According to the Leader Telegram, authorities heard the smoke alarm go off and responded immediately. Once in the apartment, firefighters saw heavy smoke with no visible fire.
The trio was taken to Red Cedar Medical Center where they were pronounced dead after failed resuscitation attempts.
According to tests, the victims were poisoned by carbon monoxide due to extended exposure to fire gases.
Police said the blood alcohol level (BAC) for each victim was over the legal limit of 0.08 percent. Amanda Rief, 20, had a BAC of 0.305; April Englund had a BAC of 0.210; and Scott Hams had a BAC of 0.173. Authorities are unsure of whether the alcohol prevented the victims from rescuing themselves.
For more information:
- 3 UW-Stout students killed in fire were drunk
- Toxicology results released for Stout students killed in fire
- Report finds fire victims were intoxicated
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- Carbon Monoxide Detectors Need to Be Replaced, Find Out Why in New Paper from System Sensor
- 2 Virginia Tech Students Remain Hospitalized Due to Carbon Monoxide Leak
- Florida Law Cracks Down on Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
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