A pregnant mother narrowly escaped death after a pothole damaged her car's exhaust, causing it to fill with lethal carbon monoxide fumes. Lucy Barnard, 26, was driving home on Walney Island in Cumbria when her Ford Fiesta hit a pothole, producing a rattling sound. Moments later, the carbon monoxide detector she had installed after her brother's death in 2023 began to rise.
Upon arriving at her home, which she shares with partner Callum Legge, 25, and their two children, Barnard tested for exhaust leaks. To her horror, carbon monoxide levels inside the vehicle reached 180 parts per million—levels that can be fatal to humans. Barnard, who is six months pregnant, said her father Terry, 63, discovered the exhaust had been severely damaged by the pothole.
"We shot out of the car and haven't used it since," Barnard said. "We plan to scrap it as fixing it would cost almost as much as we bought it for. We also don't feel comfortable getting inside even if it were fixed, just in case it leaked again."
Barnard is acutely aware of carbon monoxide dangers after her brother Michael, 36, died in August 2023 when his car filled with the gas. An inquest in February 2024 found his carboxyhemoglobin levels were 63%—far above the normal 1-2% for non-smokers. Michael was killed while parked at Walney Beach, Cumbria, after toxic gas entered through a faulty heating system.
"It's given me a bit of PTSD," Barnard said. "It's heartbreaking to have experienced how my brother died. I feel so lucky we had the detector and followed my own advice of not travelling in a car without one. If we didn't know, it could have killed us."
After suspecting a leak, Barnard first opened windows to see if levels dropped, which they did. Then she closed windows and turned on the heating full blast, causing levels to spike to 180 ppm. Levels around 200 ppm or greater can cause physical symptoms and be fatal within hours, according to co2metre.com. The NHS warns carbon monoxide is especially dangerous for pregnant women, as it reduces oxygen to the baby, potentially affecting growth and development.
Barnard is calling for greater awareness of carbon monoxide risks in vehicles and campaigns for all cars to be legally required to have detectors. She started a petition last year needing 100,000 signatures for Parliament to consider debate. "This could be happening to so many. It's absolutely crazy. I think there will be more deaths if this isn't addressed," she said. Reflecting on the incident, she added, "It was me, my partner, and my children in the car. It could have taken all of our lives. This is definitely not spoken about enough."
