College Student Killed by Carbon Monoxide Poisoning While Charging Phone in Blizzard

A 21-year-old college football player from Long Island is dead after what authorities are calling a heartbreaking accident during one of the most powerful snowstorms to slam the Northeast this winter.

Joseph Boutros, a sophomore at Salve Regina University in Newport, Rhode Island, was found unconscious inside a snow-covered vehicle Monday evening as Winter Storm Hernando buried the coastal city under nearly three feet of snow.

Police say the car was running.

And the exhaust pipe was likely blocked.

According to the Newport Police Department, officers conducted a welfare check in a parking lot and discovered Boutros inside the vehicle. He had reportedly been charging his phone while sitting in the car as the blizzard intensified.

Emergency crews rushed him to a nearby hospital. He was pronounced dead a short time later.

The cause: carbon monoxide poisoning.

Authorities believe heavy snow accumulation obstructed the vehicle’s exhaust system, causing the deadly gas to build up inside the car. Carbon monoxide is colorless and odorless. Victims often have little warning before losing consciousness.

“This tragic incident was accidental and a reminder to be vigilant to keep exhaust pipes clear of snow and debris when vehicles are idling,” Newport Police said in a statement.

Boutros was originally from Bohemia in Suffolk County, New York. A graduate of Connetquot High School, he had built a reputation as a disciplined student-athlete. At Salve Regina, he studied criminal justice and criminology while playing offensive line for the Seahawks football team.

Teammates and coaches described him as the emotional backbone of the locker room.

“The Salve Football family mourns the passing of Joseph Boutros,” the program wrote in a public tribute. “His contagious smile, selfless spirit, and the way he showed up for his brothers every day made our program better in every way.”

Friends from Long Island echoed that grief online.

“He had the biggest heart,” one former classmate posted. “Always looking out for everyone else.”

Winter Storm Hernando dropped roughly 34 inches of snow on Newport, according to the National Weather Service. Roads were impassable in many areas. Parking lots were buried. Cars disappeared under drifts.

Experts warn that idling a vehicle during extreme winter weather can quickly turn fatal if snow blocks the exhaust pipe. Even partially blocked vents can force carbon monoxide back into the cabin within minutes.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that more than 400 Americans die each year from unintentional carbon monoxide poisoning unrelated to fires.

In this case, police emphasized there were no signs of foul play.

Just a young man trying to stay warm and keep his phone charged during a historic storm.

Now, a university community is grieving. A Long Island family is devastated. And another warning has been issued about a silent killer that strikes hardest when people least expect it.