She tried to fix the A/C in her NC motel room - and got electrocuted, police say
By Joe Marusak
jmarusak@charlotteobserver.com
August 20, 2018 09:02 PM
A woman was electrocuted and died on Monday after she touched an air conditioner that began to smoke in a North Carolina motel room, police said.
The woman “tried to reset” the air conditioner in the Economy Inn & Suites off Interstate 95 in Nash County when the unit shocked her, WRAL reported. The motel is on N.C. 48 near Rocky Mount.
The 31-year-old woman went into cardiac arrest after she was shocked, a spokesperson for the city of Rocky Mount told ABC-TV affiliate WTVD. A 7-year-old girl was hospitalized, the station reported. The child’s condition has yet to be released, according to WRAL.
An autopsy will be performed to determine the cause of death, WTVD reported.
Breaking News
The death called to mind another incident involving faulty equipment at a North Carolina hotel.
In April 2013, carbon monoxide leaked from a poorly vented pool heater into a room at the Best Western in Boone, The Charlotte Observer reported. Daryl and Shirley Jenkins, a couple in their 70s, died from their exposure. Less than two months later, in the same hotel room, the deadly gas claimed another victim – 11-year-old Jeffrey Williams, according to the Observer.
Following the deaths, Best Western required all of its hotels to install and maintain carbon monoxide detectors in every guest room and all areas where fuel-burning equipment operates, according to the Observer.
Despite the heightened attention brought by deaths at a Best Western in Boone, NC, in 2013, carbon monoxide poisoning continues to afflict scores of hotel guests. Jeannie Williams opens up about her son, and others who were killed by carbon monoxi
By Matt Walsh
Yet in 2017, a Texas couple died months after being exposed to carbon monoxide that leaked from a hotel pool heater at a Best Western in Perryton, Texas, the Observer reported.
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Woman killed after being shocked at Nash County motel by air conditioner
By Adam Owens, WRAL reporter
Rocky Mount, N.C. —
A woman was killed and a young child staying at a Nash County motel was hurt Monday when they were shocked by an air conditioner in the room, authorities and family members said.
The two were guests in a room at the Economy Inn Hotel and Suites, located off of Interstate 95 in Nash County, when the incident occurred.
There was apparently an issue with an air conditioner in the room and the woman tried to reset the unit when she was electrocuted. The two were rushed for treatment to a local hospital, although the child's condition was not immediately released.
A family member of the woman told WRAL News that she died after being shocked.
"You've got families living in here and she was doing the right thing," said her cousin, Tony Williams. "She lost her life in her room."
Several officers were seen going into the room during their investigation. An electrician was also at the scene.
It was not clear if charges would be filed in connection with the woman's death.
The identities of the victims were pending.
A motel employee declined to comment.