Child Dies; Adult, 2 Children Hurt by Carbon Monoxide Poisoning in Gun Barrel City, TX
Gun Barrel City, TX — November 26, 2022, a child died and two more were critically hurt due to possible carbon monoxide poisoning on Garret Lane in Gun Barrel City.
Authorities say the incident happened some time before 9:00 a.m. at a house on the 100 block of Garret Lane, where firefighters discovered four unconscious patients--a 28-year-old woman, a 3-year-old girl, and two boys ages 6 and 4. All four were transported to an area hospital, where the 6-year-old soon succumbed to his injuries. The other two children were in critical condition at last report, and the adult woman was expected to recover.
Investigators later reported that the house where the victims were found had no electricity and a gas-powered generator was running indoors.
No further information is available at this time.
Commentary on Carbon Monoxide Accident in Gun Barrel City
After reading about a terrible incident like this, most people's first reaction will be one of sadness and empathy for all those harmed by it. Afterward, however, cynicism may cause some of them to mutter that "Some lawyer’s going to jump in and turn this sad accident into a big federal case." We've heard similar sentiments many times, but cynicism aside I think most people know deep down that's not how the law or its practitioners work.
Without a more thorough investigation or even a more comprehensive understanding of why the victims were in a house with no power at the time, it's irresponsible for anyone to assume that legal action could or should follow--even though what happened is undeniably tragic. It's important to get to the bottom of what happened on Garret Lane and why, but this could be another of many instances where learning all the facts shows this was just an awful accident and nothing more.
However, that same careful investigation often uncovers details showing that someone or something else--whose involvement might be less obvious at first--was partly or fully responsible for the damage done. In those situations, it’s only right that the negligent person be held accountable. A desire to better understand this accident and help the people it hurt isn't an opportunistic gambit; it's just a desire to see justice done.
