Son Finds 82-Year-Old Mother Dead After Likely Carbon Monoxide Leak

A Wyckoff woman died from what is believed to be carbon monoxide poisoning in her Covington Place home Friday after a vehicle was inadvertently left running in an attached garage, family and officials said Friday afternoon.

Mary Ringley was 82 years old and lived alone with her dog, according to her son Steven Ringley, who had discovered her body earlier that afternoon.

Steven, visibly distraught outside his mother's home Friday, said he grew concerned after numerous phone calls to his mother went unanswered earlier in the day.

The Wanaque resident said he often spoke to his mother on the phone, so when she didn't pick up Friday morning he drove from Wanaque to Wyckoff to check up on her.  

He arrived at the Covington Place home around noon and found his mother and her dog, a Maltese, dead inside.

He notified police, who arrived on the scene within five minutes, Steven said.

Wyckoff Police Chief Benjamin Fox said Friday that a vehicle was inadvertently left running in a garage for nearly an entire day, which filled the home with poisonous gas.

When the Wyckoff Fire Department responded to the scene they discovered carbon monoxide levels in excess of 1,000 parts per million, according to Fox. Levels of 35 parts per million are considered toxic.

The home was not equipped with carbon monoxide detectors, Fox added.

"By all accounts this [death] looks like it was [caused by] a carbon monoxide leak," Fox said. He added that his office was still waiting for the medical examiner's report confirming that carbon monoxide poisoning was the cause of death. 

An investigation determined that Mary Ringley had arrived home sometime around 4:00 p.m. on Thursday and left the car running inside of the closed garage for approximately 20 hours, Fox said.

Ringley's body was found in a room above the garage, according to police. 

The home's garage door was seen open, a maroon sedan parked inside, Friday afternoon.

and responded to the scene of the incident.

Correction: The home where Mary Ringley's body was found is located on Covington Place, not Hartung Drive as originally reported.