Authorities blocked off Botkin Road in Philomath for several hours Tuesday evening in response to a report of dangerous chemicals inside a vehicle. Responding officials found a man dead inside the vehicle, and said the incident appeared to be a suicide.
Benton County Sheriff's Office deputies and Philomath firefighters responded at around 4:30 p.m. Tuesday to a report of hazardous chemicals inside a vehicle that was parked on the side of Botkin Road, about two miles south of Highway 34 in Philomath.
Benton County Sheriff Scott Jackson said the man, who was not identified Tuesday, filled the vehicle with deadly chemicals, a type of incident known as a “chemical suicide.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, these types of incidents involve mixing chemicals in a confined space and breathing in the resulting poisonous gas.
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“He did put a note on the window warning law enforcement that there were chemicals inside,” Jackson said.
Firefighters with Philomath Fire & Rescue and a representative with hazmat responded to the scene Tuesday evening. As of 8 p.m. Tuesday, the road was still closed.
Further details were not immediately available Tuesday night.