A 21-year-old Salve Regina University football player died of carbon monoxide poisoning after he sat in a car to charge his phone during a major snowstorm and power outage that buried parts of Rhode Island, police said.
Joseph Boutros’ death has drawn attention because it happened in a place many students recognize, a campus area off Bellevue Avenue, as the city struggled through heavy snow, blocked roads and widespread outages. Police called the death accidental and said snow around the vehicle likely trapped exhaust. University leaders and teammates mourned Boutros while Newport and surrounding communities continued storm cleanup and power restoration.
Police and firefighters responded about 7:20 p.m. Mon., Feb. 23, to a parking lot near Salve Regina buildings on Bellevue Avenue after a report of someone inside a vehicle, authorities said. Officers found Boutros unconscious in the car, and officials said he appeared to have been charging his cellphone. Newport Fire Rescue took him to Newport Hospital, where he was pronounced dead a short time later. Police said carbon monoxide exposure caused his death, and they linked it to storm conditions that left the vehicle covered in snow.
Newport Police Capt. Joseph Carroll said snow obstructed the vehicle’s exhaust area, allowing the odorless gas to build up. In a statement, police described the death as accidental and said the vehicle was “covered in snow” with the exhaust pipe embedded in the snow. Accounts from officials differed on whether the car was still running when first responders arrived, but police said the scene showed signs of an exhaust blockage. Investigators have not said how long Boutros was in the car or how long he was exposed before someone called for a welfare check.
Salve Regina officials confirmed Boutros died at the hospital but said they would not provide more details. University President Kelli J. Armstrong said the campus community was mourning and focused on supporting Boutros’ family, friends, coaches and teammates. The football program also issued tributes, calling him family and describing him as a steady presence in the locker room. A student Mass on campus on Wed., Feb. 25, was scheduled to be held in Boutros’ memory, according to the university’s events calendar.
Boutros was a sophomore offensive lineman for the Seahawks, a Division III program, according to the school’s athletics roster. The roster listed him at 6-foot-1 and 290 pounds, from Bohemia, New York, and a graduate of Connetquot High School. He studied criminal justice and criminology and was part of the Class of 2026. Friends and teammates described him as upbeat, with a smile that spread quickly in team circles, as news traveled from Newport back to Long Island and through the college community.
The storm that hit late Feb. 22 and Feb. 23 brought extraordinary snowfall across southern New England and snarled travel in coastal towns built around narrow streets and historic neighborhoods. In Newport, the National Weather Service reported totals that reached about 20 inches in the city, with 34 inches measured at Newport State Airport in nearby Middletown. Elsewhere in Rhode Island, T.F. Green International Airport in Warwick reported 37.9 inches of snow, a total that exceeded the state’s previous modern benchmarks and drew national attention. Utility crews worked through deep snow and downed trees as outages persisted.
Authorities said Boutros’ death fit a pattern that emergency officials warn about after heavy snowfalls, when people use cars and generators for heat or power during outages. Carbon monoxide is sometimes called a silent killer because people cannot see or smell it as it builds up. Health officials say winter storms can raise risk when vents or exhaust systems are blocked by snow, or when engines run in enclosed or poorly ventilated areas. The Associated Press reported that a 1978 New England storm trapped drivers for hours and led to carbon monoxide deaths in snowbound vehicles, and similar dangers have been reported during recent severe winter events.
Police said they do not treat the case as a criminal investigation, and they have announced no arrests or charges. They said the call began as a welfare check, then became an emergency medical response once crews reached the vehicle. Officials have not released an autopsy summary beyond the stated cause of death, and they have not said when a final medical examiner report might be completed. Investigators also have not identified the person who reported concerns about the vehicle, and they have not released detailed timelines for Boutros’ final hours.
Students and residents described the days after the storm as disorienting, with steep snowbanks lining sidewalks and plows carving single lanes through side streets. In the campus area near Bellevue Avenue, snow piled high around parked cars and building entrances, and many students relied on limited power and spotty service as crews worked to restore electricity. One of Boutros’ friends, Krystian Reese, told a local outlet that the news felt unreal, saying, “I couldn’t even believe it, it’s hard to deal with.” The combination of extreme weather and grief left classmates trying to resume routines in a city still digging out.
As of Fri., Feb. 27, police had released no new details beyond their finding that snow obstructed the exhaust and the death was accidental. Newport’s cleanup continued into the weekend, and the next expected milestones were final medical findings and the university’s plans for additional remembrances.
Author note: Last updated Feb. 28, 2026.