Posted December 7, 2005
Carbon-monoxide victim was visiting friends
By Nathan Phelps
nphelps@greenbaypressgazette.com
The family of Brent Legault said the 23-year-old Milan, Mich., man had been visiting friends in the Green Bay area for a week before he was found dead in his car of carbon monoxide poisoning Sunday in De Pere.
"We're assuming whoever he was trying to get a hold of, he couldn't that night, so he just chose to sleep in his vehicle," said Tim Smith, Legault's stepfather.
Al Klimek, Brown County interim medical examiner, said Monday that the death was likely accidental and that the level of carbon monoxide in Legault's bloodstream had reached 73 percent, a level considered toxic.
Legault was found about 11 a.m. Sunday dressed in several layers of clothes and wrapped in a blanket inside his vehicle parked at the Bellin Health clinic, 1800 Lawrence Drive.
Investigators say it appeared that Legault may have been attempting to spend the night in his car.
Police are now focusing their investigation on the vehicle to determine what happened. Investigators said they believe this was an accident.
"Typically if you're parked outdoors you shouldn't have the problems he had," said Capt. John Koser of the De Pere Police Department. "We're going to take the time to check the car and try to figure out what it was that caused the problem."
Smith said Legault had lived in Green Bay for four years and moved back to Milan five months ago.
Smith talked to Legault two times last week by telephone.
"He said he'd applied for a couple jobs over there … he thought he might just move back to Green Bay," he said.
"He was a very spontaneous person. He could wake and say, 'I'll go to Green Bay for the weekend.' That's just how he was," Smith said. "He was a great kid, lots of potential and very intelligent." |
