Doctor Dismissed Fears Of Poison Gas

A family that was killed by carbon monoxide had visited a doctor earlier in the week, suspecting the deadly gas had made them sick, and were told it was just the flu, a relative said.

A bird’s nest in a furnace flue at John Reed’s home forced carbon monoxide into their house, fire investigators said. Reed, his three children, a family friend and the Reeds’ dog were found dead in the home Thursday night.

Reed’s brother, Mark, said he accompanied Reed and the children, 13-year-old Kristen, 11-year-old Megan and 10-year-old John Jr., to Fairview Hospital on Monday night because the family had been sick for about a week.

“I asked the doctor three times: ‘Could it be carbon monoxide poisoning?’ He said: ‘No way. It’s the flu,’ ” Reed recalled.