Home / Disasters and Accidents / Mother and Son Perish in Car Trapped During Blizzard
Mother and Son Perish in Car Trapped During Blizzard
20 Feb
Summary
- Elderly mother and her adult son found deceased in their car.
- They were trapped for over two weeks during a January snowstorm.
- Their car was located near a Rhode Island hospital's parking lot.
Tragically, an elderly woman and her adult son were found dead in their car outside a Rhode Island hospital, having become trapped during a severe snowstorm. Irina Kozak, 75, and her son Stanislaw Kozak, 49, were discovered on February 11 in the vehicle they had been inhabiting.
Authorities suspect Irina lay beside her deceased son for more than two weeks before she also passed away. The grim discovery occurred nearly two weeks after Irina pulled into a parking spot at Miriam Hospital in Providence seeking refuge from the blizzard on January 28.
A friend had alerted dispatchers that they were near a park by the hospital and unable to exit the vehicle, also reporting that Stanislaw had not moved in two days. Despite a police search, the mother and son were not located at that time.
The pair were eventually found dead in their car, which had been parked in a lot adjacent to the hospital. Police determined their deaths were weather-related, with underlying health issues also considered contributing factors. The significant snow accumulation and single-digit temperatures during the storm were critical elements.
