A wrongful death lawsuit has been filed against Ford Motor Co. and a suburban Chicago auto dealer in connection with the carbon monoxide poisoning of a man and his wife.
The lawsuit filed in Lake County Circuit Court claims the couple's 2013 Lincoln MKS was equipped with a keyless ignition critics say makes it too easy to leave a car running without realizing it.
Seventy-five-year-old Rina and 79-year-old Pasquale Fontanini of Highland Park died in June.
Police said an immediate investigation revealed extremely high levels of carbon monoxide in the home of Pasquale and Rina Fontanini. They said it appears from the condition of the home that Pasquale Fontanini heard a carbon monoxide detector sounding, and then found the MKS still running in an attached garage.
Police said Fontanini opened the garage door, turned off the car, then attempted to go back inside to save his wife. He succumbed to the deadly fumes before he could get to her. He was found on the main floor; his wife was in an upstairs bedroom. Their son performed CPR and another firefighter who responded was later treated for carbon monoxide poisoning. Both husband and wife died from the exposure.
Representatives for Ford and auto dealer Libertyville Lincoln couldn't be reached for comment Monday.
