September 18, 2025, Marks 14th Anniversary of Tragic Carbon Monoxide Accident

CLARKSVILLE, TN -- Clarksville Mayor Joe Pitts asks the community to stop this Thursday, and silently, and prayerfully remember the tragic Carbon Monoxide accident that claimed five precious lives in our City.

Fourteen years ago, on September 18, 2011, at Clarksville Speedway, five people attending the annual Leslie W. Watson Memorial Toy Run led by a wonderful community-minded organization, Bikers Who Care (BWC), lost their lives when they were overcome by Carbon Monoxide (CO) poisoning.

Toxic fumes from a generator had leaked into their rented RV for the event. The CO detector in that RV had no batteries, it was later discovered.

The five individuals, whose memories we forever cherish and honor, were Jon and Kathryn Over, Jim Wall, Tim Stone, and Allison Bagwell-Wyatt.

This week, throughout the State of Tennessee, millions of people join us in honoring their memory.

Carbon Monoxide Awareness Day in Tennessee was first designated by the Tennessee General Assembly in 2015 as a time for lovingly recalling these five individuals - the "BWC5" - and to foster a greater understanding of the dangers of this odorless, colorless gas produced from natural fuels burning incompletely.

During that tragic time, Mayor Pitts was representing the Clarksville-centric 67th District of the Tennessee House of Representatives, and felt driven to take action for our grieving community, both to honor the memory of the BWC5, and do everything possible to avoid seeing the tragedy ever repeated.

Along with establishing Carbon Monoxide Awareness Day, or BWC5 Day, in the state, Tennessee legislators passed one important companion law making a working CO detector a requirement in a rented RV. Failure to comply now brings with it a civil penalty.

Helping to raise awareness each year since 2015 are the Tennessee Department of Commerce & Insurance (TDCI) and Tennessee State Fire Marshal's Office. These departments are routinely sharing CO safety messages to help save lives and reduce risks of CO poisoning.

Part of that message is the realization that, in the home, heating and cooking equipment that burn fuel, such as barbecue grills, fireplaces, and fuel-powered heaters, are potential CO sources.

Camper and RV owners will frequently use generators when spending time outdoors, and they are used when storms damage or destroy electrical or other power systems in the home.

Mayor Pitts asks all Clarksvillians to please remember that, CO is a threat, no matter how much of it someone is exposed to. Please always use caution with potential CO sources, and never use a gas generator inside your home, garage, carport, basement, crawlspace, or outside near a window, door or vent.

It is dangerous to use a gas or kerosene heater inside a home or other building.

Never use a gas range or gas oven to heat your home. Please do not use a gas or charcoal grill indoors, and do not burn charcoal in your fireplace.

Furthermore, don't run a vehicle or other fueled engine or motor indoors, even if garage doors are open.

Don't use fuel-powered equipment in a garage or enclosed area.

Please have fuel-burning heating equipment and chimneys inspected by a professional every year before the arrival of cold weather. When using a fireplace, make sure the flue is open for adequate ventilation.

Properly-working CO detectors are important in protecting against poisoning, by providing an early warning. These detectors are widely available at home and hardware stores, and as consumers, you are asked to follow instructions for proper placement, installation, and use of them.

As we remember the BWC5 again this week, let's all work together to ensure a future that's safe from the dangers of Carbon Monoxide.