Three young women were found dead Tuesday in a car parked near Squaw Valley USA ski resort, and law enforcement officials suspect that they were victims of accidental carbon monoxide poisoning.
The engine of their older, American-made sedan was still running when a resort security guard came upon the scene about 1:05 p.m., Placer County Sheriff’s Lt. Allan Carter said during a telephone interview.
“We surmise that the engine was running all night,” Carter said. “It appears that they were sleeping.”
The car was entirely covered by a foot of new-fallen snow, Carter said.
Investigators have found no evidence of alcohol or other drug use, and there are no indications of foul play.
The women were identified as Lacey Louann Sutton, 22, of Marysville; Sara Alice McCullah, 21, of Marysville; and a 17-year-old from Loma Rica that officials did not name because of her age. Their families have been notified, Carter said.
McCullah and Sutton had moved to the Olympic Valley area from Marysville to work at Squaw Valley, said McCullah’s mother, Cindy Walczak. McCullah, a certified nursing assistant, planned to work at the resort’s locker rental office and find a nursing job, her mother said.