Division 3 Football Player Died From Carbon Monoxide Poisoning trying to Charge his Phone in the Snow Storm

A heartbreaking tragedy struck the Salve Regina community during Monday’s historic blizzard in Rhode Island, as a 21-year-old football player lost his life in an accident that has left teammates, friends, and family grieving.

Joseph Boutros, an offensive lineman at Salve Regina University, was found unresponsive Monday night inside his snow-covered vehicle in Newport. Authorities said Boutros had been sitting in his car to charge his cell phone while the engine was running. With nearly three feet of snow blanketing the area, the vehicle’s exhaust pipe became blocked, leading to carbon monoxide poisoning.

Police responded after discovering the vehicle buried under snow during the storm, which dropped a record 34 inches across the city. Boutros was rushed to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead later that night.

“This tragic incident was accidental and serves as a sobering reminder of the dangers of running a vehicle when exhaust pipes are obstructed by snow or debris,” Newport police said in a statement released Tuesday.

Boutros, a native of Bohemia, New York, on Long Island, was a member of the Seahawks football program at the Division III level. Known by those around him as a hardworking teammate and a kind-hearted young man, his sudden passing has sent waves of sorrow through the campus and beyond.

As the Salve Regina community mourns the loss of one of its own, tributes have continued to pour in, honoring a life cut tragically short and reminding everyone of the fragile line between routine moments and irreversible loss.