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Melissa Yingst Huber

82-year-old Wayne and 69-year-old Joan Flammer, a deaf couple residing in Madisonville, Ohio, were found dead on Friday by police after accidentally leaving their car, a Toyota Rav4, running in their garage. The two died from carbon monoxide poisoning.

Authorities who investigated the incident stated that the couple could not hear that their car was still on when they proceeded upstairs. They confirmed that the situation was an unfortunate accident. The couple was found after fellow church members decided to check on them.

While the Flammer’s had a traditional ignition for their car, according to a Scripps News report, keyless ignitions have been the cause of over 18 carbon monoxide deaths in the United States from 2009-2015.

Charlene Hahn, an officer on the case, was raised by two deaf parents. She was able to communicate with and console a relative of one of the victim’s who is also deaf. Please be careful and make sure your car is off once you park it. There are companies that sell carbon monoxide detectors with flashing lights that are Deaf friendly.