A 45-year-old Indiana mother of two died from suspected carbon monoxide poisoning while power washing inside a barn on her Howard County property, according to local officials.
Lacy Leigha Alexander’s body was discovered September 19 in a barn where she had been “using a gas power washer while cleaning a stall area within the pole barn,” the Howard County Coroner’s Office reported.
An autopsy was performed September 22 to determine the official cause of death, though officials do not suspect foul play in the incident.
Alexander, a resident of Greentown, worked for more than two decades as a laboratory technician while serving as an active volunteer in her community’s youth baseball and softball programs.
Community members remembered Alexander as a dedicated coach and mentor who made lasting impacts on young athletes. Tiffany Damitz wrote on the Greentown Youth Baseball Facebook group that Alexander was “a mom to every kid on the field, loving them fiercely and putting in tireless hours to make them better baseball players, students, and young men and women.”
The Greentown Girls Softball League described Alexander as a “bright & sassy light” whose “grit and leadership on and off the ball diamonds was out of this world.”
Alexander leaves behind a husband and two teenagers. Community members have organized meal trains and fundraising efforts to support her family during this time.
Greentown is located approximately 60 miles north of Indianapolis.
The incident highlights serious safety risks associated with using gasoline-powered equipment in enclosed spaces. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warns that gasoline-powered washers should never be used “in an enclosed space or less than 20 feet from any window, door, or vent.”
CDC guidelines state that “workers should not use any equipment powered by gasoline engines inside buildings or other partially enclosed spaces, unless the gasoline engine can be placed outdoors and away from air intakes.”
Carbon monoxide is an odorless, colorless gas produced by gasoline engines that can quickly reach lethal levels in enclosed spaces. Symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning include headache, dizziness, vomiting, chest pain, and weakness.
The tragedy underscores the importance of following safety protocols when operating gas-powered equipment, particularly in barns, garages, and other enclosed areas where carbon monoxide can accumulate rapidly.
Safety experts recommend always using gas-powered equipment outdoors with adequate ventilation and installing carbon monoxide detectors in areas where such equipment might be used.
