Lobbyist's death ruled an accident

[deminks]

http://content.usatoday.com/communities/theoval/post/2011/03/turton-death-ruled-an-accident/1

Police in Washington ruled that the death of 37-year-old lobbyist Ashley Turton, who died after losing consciousness inside her BMW before it caught fire in her garage in January, was an accident.

Turton, who was married to White House aide Dan Turton, worked for Progress Energy, a North Carolina utility company. She had worked in Congress for Democratic Reps. Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut and Richard Gephardt of Missouri.

The mother of three young children was found dead in her sport-utility vehicle around 5 a.m. on Jan. 10. Her death shocked official Washington.

Last month, the D.C. Medical Examiner's Office released an autopsy report. It said "acute alcohol intoxication" was a factor.

(end snip)

Case closed. Move along. This is not the tin foil you've been looking for.

[Angry Dragon]

1. So how did the vehicle catch fire??

[deminks]

3. from the above article

(snip)

The investigation into her death revealed that while Mrs. Turton was behind the wheel of her BMW and preparing to leave, she became unconscious and lost control of her vehicle, crashing it into the interior of the garage attached to her home at 8th and A Street, S.E. The vehicle collided with a work bench in the garage and resulted in a fire igniting in the engine compartment.

(end snip)

[liberalmike27]

2. Lobbyists

Man if ever there was a revolution in the US, lobbyists would be the first group to target.

Sounds suspicious, like she was trying to kill herself. Why would a BMW catch on fire? Sorry, I guess I should've read the article, it probably had those details.

[Poll_Blind]

4. In no way at all am I speaking to this specific case but, sadly, really terrible things...

...happen kind of randomly sometimes. People can have strokes or other medical events which were never even suspected. Look at the death of John Ritter, for instance. Then again, at the other end of the spectrum, you have Karen Silkwood.

PB

[liberal N proud]

5. Sure it was

Move along now.

[jbnow]

6. This is so sad and strange. Her kids were all under 5

But the story doesn't make sense. She was leaving early for work, early reports say she was headed to the airport. Her energy company was taking part in a mult-billion dollar merger with another energy company that day.
"Acute alcohol intoxication" at the start of an important work day? Maybe she was scared of flying and had a couple of drinks, ok, but I am betting she would then take a taxi
and how passed out was she that she couldn't just get out of car? Or had carbon monoxide gotten to her (except garage door was open)

Well understanding it won't make her any more alive. I had forgotten about this but when reading about it initially I figured the investigation would clear things up.
It didn't.

Even a problem drinker (not saying she was!) who manages to hold and excel in professional jobs as she was just don't get that drunk the morning of a big work day