[NutBrnHair]

Chattanooga Times Free Press, Wednesday, February 9, 2005
Police News Digest

UTC student found dead in garage

Investigators are probing the death of a University of Tennessee at Chattanooga student found dead in her car early Monday morning, according to Chief Larry Sneed of the Red Bank Police Department.

"It appears to be accidental," Chief Sneed said.

Cassie Clements, 21, apparently had been out Sunday night and returned around 2:00 a.m. to a house she shared with a Chi Omega sorority sister, Chief Sneed said. Miss Clements pulled her car into the basement and shut the garage door, he said.

"She was talking on a cell phone and then just went to sleep," Chief Sneed said.

The telephone call probably had distracted her, and before long Miss Clements was breathing in the carbon monoxide fumes coming from her car's exhaust, the chief said.

A Hamilton County medical examiner's report confirmed the death from carbon monoxide poisoning, Chief Sneed said.

Funeral arrangements are by Chattanooga Funeral Home.