Man Dies of Apparent Carbon Monoxide Poisoning

A man and three dogs were found dead in an Oxford home Monday afternoon in what appears to be a case of carbon monoxide poisoning, Oxford Fire Chief Scott Pelletier said. 

He said emergency services were called to the house at 1 Silano Drive at 12:51 p.m. after receiving a report of a person who died. Firefighters discovered carbon monoxide readings of 1,200 parts per million, which could be fatal, Pelletier said.

Oxford Resident State Trooper Sgt. Dan Semosky, the department's spokesman, said Monday that there was an investigation underway at 1 Silano Drive, but said he could not confirm what that investigation entails or release further details.

"We're still in the early parts of investigating it," Semosky said. "Right now there's an active investigation."

According to emergency radio transmissions, authorities were trying to figure out whether there were high levels of carbon monoxide in the residence because they found the dead dogs.

The Oxford Fire Department took control of the scene at about 1:13 p.m.  Firefighters shut off the furnace and were ventilating the structure at that time.
Oxford firefighters cleared the scene at 2:08 p.m., turning it over to police. 

The house at 1 Silano Drive is owned by Raymond B. Garrett, according to Oxford land records. It is a 1.5-story contemporary style home that encompasses more than 2,600 square feet of living space on nine acres of land. The owner used propane fuel to heat the home, land records state. The source of the carbon monoxide had not been determined as of Monday afternoon.

Several Other Incidents in Oxford on Monday

The Silano Drive case marks the second fatal incident on Monday in Oxford. On Monday morning, a Waterbury man believed to be in his 50s died in a car accident on Route 67 near the Southbury line when the minivan he was driving collided with a tractor-trailer. Police have not revealed the victim’s name at this point.

Oxford emergency crews also responded to a two-car accident near the rotary on the Oxford-Seymour line at 53 Quaker Farms Road this afternoon. The Oxford Fire Department extricated four people and five were brought to area hospitals for treatment of injuries, some of which appeared to be serious but not-life-threatening, Pelletier said.

On Monday afternoon, emergency crews responded to a two-car motor vehicle accident at 300 Oxford Road, Route 67, in front of the Valley Emergency Medical Services building. Both drivers were out of the vehicle when firefighters arrived and did not appear to be injured, Pelletier said.

We will bring you more on these developing stories.

Note: This article was reported by Oxford Patch and the Valley Independent Sentinel.